True Reflection of Love
by NickyM96
Summary: [JOR implied, JMPF/R] Jarod tells Miss Parker a story that changes her views of herself, her world, and her perception of love.
1. True Reflection of Love

Title: True Reflection of Love  
Author: Nicky (NickyM96@yahoo.com)  
Rating: PG  
Category/Keywords: JOR, JMPF/R  
Summary: Jarod tells Miss Parker a story that changes her views of herself, her world, and her perception of love.  
Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.  
  
  
  
Book I: True Reflection of Love  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Why? Why her? Why was it always her? Bad stuff just seemed to find her. No matter where she was or what she was doing. Something was always broken in her house or with the car or with anything she touched. When she finally gets her hot water heater fixed, the pipes burst. When she gets the pipes fixed something else malfunctions in the house. But this. This takes the cake. This wasn't even her car and already it was betraying her.  
  
"Do you think you'll be able to fix it?" she impatiently asks the mechanic standing in front of her. "I have some place to be. People will be waiting for me."  
  
"I'm sure I can fix it," the mechanic assures her. "It might take awhile, though. I'm kind of backed up today. Can't you just call the rental place and have them tow this one and send you another one?"  
  
"Good thinking . . . Clyde," she says sarcastically with a little pause after taking a second to read his name tag. "That wasn't the first thought that occurred to me at all. Actually, I think I'd prefer being stuck in this little hick town while this piece of junk rental car gets repaired." She scowls at him, suddenly sending a wave of fear down his spine. She notices the man's obvious terror and takes a small amount of pleasure in that fact.  
  
"Well you don't have to be so mean about it," Clyde says after gathering his courage back. "That kind of attitude isn't going to make me get to you any quicker."  
  
Miss Parker scowls again. But this time it's because the mechanic is right. She was pretty much at his mercy.  
  
"I'm sorry," she says in a gentler tone and adds a fake smile. "Force of habit. I'm used to being tough and getting my way. Now, about the car. Do you think you can get that done today? I'm just passing through your lovely town on my way to somewhere else. And I really need to get there."  
  
"Okay," the mechanic relents. "It should be ready by early evening. Come back around six."  
  
"Thanks," she says sweetly, waiting until after she puts on her sunglasses to roll her eyes at pretend niceness she had to offer. She then turns and walks out the door, stepping out into main square of the tiny town.  
  
She decides to just walk around awhile, taking in the everyday life of the locals. She'd find a place to have an early dinner, and then hopefully make it back here to pick up the car. This little pit stop might not be as unpleasant as she had originally thought.  
  
The happy sounds of children playing captures her attention and she starts to walk towards them. She walks about two blocks before she discovers a playground at the bottom of a hill. She goes down, inexplicably drawn to their giggles and shrieks of joy. Usually such noise gave her an immediate headache and made her race to her doctor to refill her birth control pills prescription. But today it was oddly soothing. Seeing the children so carefree. Having fun the way children should. Having the kind of fun that she never could.  
  
She saw children of all shapes and sizes. All colors and nationalities. Playing together and not noticing their differences. There were older boys, playing basketball on a court across the yard. Boys with brown skin. Boys with white skin. And boys with all the varying shades in between. And there were smaller children, chasing each other in the grass, some calling to each other in Spanish. Some speaking Chinese. Some speaking English. This one little girl was chasing a butterfly. She had a creamy, light brown complexion and a head full of braids with colorful beads on the ends. Her deep chocolate eyes widened in amazement every time the butterfly fluttered it's wings. The really small ones were playing in a sandy area, close to the benches where the parents looked on. Parents and . . .someone else she never expected to see.  
  
"Jarod," she whispers, ducking behind a tree before he can see her. Was it really him or were her eyes playing tricks on her? She peeks around the tree to get a better look at him, but is surprised to see that his spot on the bench is now empty. Her eyes roam the entire park before she finally spots him walking down the street. From her vantage point, she can only see his head, but she's sure it's him. The dark hair. The dark, troubled eyes. It was Jarod. She could just feel it.  
  
By the time she reaches the street, he's heading into a house about a block and a half away. A good sized house. Not too big. Not too small. It looked really comfortable. Like a home. It fit in perfectly with the other houses lining both sides of the street. Perfect little houses each surrounded by a perfect little white picket fence. The perfect place to blend in and get lost, which is what she assumed Jarod was trying to do. But she managed to catch up to him. Quite by accident, but she's still found him. At least, she thinks she's found him. She only sees the back of him as the door closes behind him, but she's still sure it's him.  
  
She waits a few minutes before going up to the house. She tries to come up with a plan of attack, but all thoughts fail her. All she can think to do is ring the doorbell. And wait until he comes to the door. After that, she'll figure it all out.  
  
The door opens and Miss Parker is surprised to see a face other than Jarod staring at her.  
  
"May I help you?" an older woman asks. She was older. About 60, maybe even 70, Miss Parker guessed. With white hair forming a crown around her dark face. And eyes that danced with smile, even though they were staring at an unknown visitor.  
  
"I'm sorry," Miss Parker apologizes, suddenly flustered. She wasn't expecting to see anyone other than Jarod. "I was looking for a man. He was just at the park down the street."  
  
"You mean Jarod? Come on in," the old woman invites. She holds the door open for Miss Parker and waits patiently for her to enter the house. "He's upstairs taking care of something right now. He'll be down in a minute. Please. Have a seat."  
  
Miss Parker graciously accepts her host's hospitality. As if she had a choice. She didn't want to alarm anyone as to her true intentions. Besides, she got the feeling that she couldn't refuse the old woman anything.  
  
"My name's Deidre Nelson. But everyone around here just calls me Miss Dee." She offers a hand to Miss Parker to shake, giving her a silent invitation to introduce herself.  
  
"Miss Parker. Everyone calls me Miss Parker."  
  
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Parker," the woman says, emphasizing the 'Miss' with a kind of mocking tone.  
  
"Actually, you don't have to call me that," Miss Parker says, with a shocking change of heart that surprises even herself. It just didn't sound right having the woman call her 'Miss' anything. For some reason, this woman's presence commanded respect. And Miss Parker suddenly feels as if she doesn't deserve her respect. "You can call me Tori."  
  
"Tori," Miss Dee repeats, flashing a huge smile that Miss Parker immediately takes a liking to. Almost an approving glance that she never gets from anyone these days. Especially the people whose approval means the most to her. Like Sydney. Her father. And even Lyle. "A lovely name for a lovely young woman."  
  
"Thank you," Miss Parker says quietly as a blush starts to warm her cheeks. And she feels herself smiling despite her tough-as-nails exterior. This woman has known her for all of three minutes, and already she was making Miss Parker feel human. Like she was actually worthy of love and respect. This woman was doing what no one else could do. She was melting the icy shell surrounding Miss Parker's heart. She started to feel a lot of things. But mostly guilt because of her true reasons for being there. Suddenly, the idea of capturing Jarod like a sitting duck didn't sound so appealing after all.  
  
"You know, I can always come back some other time. If Jarod's busy," Miss Parker says, trying to find any excuse to get out of the house. She stands up and starts to walk to the door. But her path is unexpectedly blocked by a blinding flash rushing past her. She looks, but all she can hear are little feet pounding the floor. She sees Miss Dee get up and walk towards the breathless giggles coming from under the coffee table.  
  
"IMANI VICTORIA NELSON! Get back here now, young lady," a familiar male voice suddenly booms, scaring Miss Parker and making her drop her sunglasses.   
  
She kneels down to pick them up, reaching out a shaky hand to grab them when she comes face to face with the little girl from the park who was chasing the butterfly. The little girl flashes her a sweet smile that instantly turns her heart to mush. Instead of the sunglasses in her hands, she ends up with the little girl in her arms, gently wriggling her out from the tiny hiding place. She takes a deep breath before finally standing up to face the music.  
  
"I believe this is what you were looking for," Miss Parker says to the stunned man standing across the room. She holds out the child and he crosses the room in two long strides to collect her.  
  
"What are you doing here, Miss Parker?" he asks grimly.  
  
"Jarod," Miss Dee scolds. "That's no way to treat a guest. Now, I have some errands to run before heading home. Why don't you let me take this little lady with me while you and your friend have a nice visit."  
  
"That's alright. I was trying to put her down for a nap anyway. You go out and enjoy yourself. We'll be fine," Jarod assures.  
  
"Okay, then. I'll see you. Imani, come give Granny a kiss good-bye," she calls to the young girl.  
  
Jarod sets her down and lets her run to Miss Dee's arms, never once taking him eyes off Miss Parker. What was she doing there? More importantly, how did she find him? And what did she know about the situation?  
  
"Bye, Jarod. Bye, Tori," Miss Dee says before shutting the door behind her.  
  
"Tori?" Jarod asks curiously, momentarily forgetting that his huntress was standing before him. "You told her your name? I'm shocked."  
  
"Me too. But it didn't seem right. Having her call me 'Miss Parker'. I don't know what it is, but I just got the feeling that I would have to earn respect from her, not demand it."  
  
They both smile and think favorably about Miss Dee, while sharing a comfortable silence. Out of the corner of his eye, Jarod sees Imani, wandering around and goes to scoop her up into his protective arms. And just then he's reminded of the seriousness of the situation at hand. He holds her close to his chest and she wraps her little arms around his neck.  
  
"I just ask one thing," he says hoarsely, his voice suddenly marred with tears. "Let me have the rest of the night with her. And then take me far from here before you call the sweepers. I don't want to put her or Miss Dee in any danger. No one can know about them."  
  
She looks at the anguish on his face and that guilty feeling starts to rise up again from the pit of her stomach. These people were obviously important to him. Important enough for him to give up his freedom. What she didn't know was why.  
  
"Why, Jarod?" she asks curiously, trying to push the sick feeling gnawing away at her insides. "What's going on here? Who is this little girl? And why are you doing everything you can to protect her?"  
  
He gives Miss Parker a cryptic smile while crossing the room to sit on the sofa. He sets Imani securely on his lap and offers Miss Parker a seat.  
  
"Why don't you sit down, Miss Parker," he says. "Because this is going to be a long story."  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"Why don't you sit down, Miss Parker," he says. "Because this is going to be a long story."  
  
"Who is this little girl, Jarod?" Miss Parker asks again, waiting patiently as Jarod takes a deep breath and begins his tale.  
  
"This is Imani. Imani Victoria Nelson. She's my daughter," he says after a long silence. He looks at Miss Parker and can see that she's completely shocked.   
  
"Daughter?" she manages to squeak out. "She's your daughter?" She's stunned. But she looks closer and can see it. Despite the obvious differences, she could see the resemblance. Looking beyond Jarod's pale skin against Imani's brown skin, Miss Parker could see where the two were related. They had the same deep, brown eyes that could stare into your soul. And when the little girl smiled, she could see the same cocky grin that Jarod has flashed at her more times than she can remember. But more than anything, she could see between them what really connected a girl to her father, even beyond the bonds of genetics. She could see the way that they looked at each other with complete adoration and devotion. It was what love looked like. Something she never saw from Mr. Parker.  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Imani," Miss Parker says to the child after recovering a bit from the initial shock. "I love your name. It's so pretty. Just like you." She smiles at the little girl and playfully pokes at her nose.   
  
"Thank you," Imani giggles. "I'm a namesteak," she says proudly. "Daddy named me after someone he knowed a long, long time ago."  
  
"It's Name-SAKE, Sweetie," Jarod gently corrects the little girl. "Not name-STEAK."  
  
"Oh, yeah. Namesake. He said she stoled his heart and never gave it back. But he gave me her name because he was so happy to have me. He said it was like Mommy was giving him his heart back when she had me." Imani ends her story with a big smile, so proud at herself at remembering the history behind her name.  
  
"Guess what, Imani? This is that friend I was telling you about. This is who you're named after," Jarod says, looking at Miss Parker to judge her reaction.  
  
"Really?" Imani exclaims with wide eyes. "We have the same name?"  
  
"That's right. My name's Victoria, too. But let's keep this our secret, okay? Nobody knows my name except for you and your daddy," Miss Parker whispers.  
  
"Okay," Imani whispers back to Miss Parker. She climbs off of Jarod's lap and into Miss Parker's, giving her a little kiss on the cheek. "Now that we have the same name, that means we're pals. Daddy, can I go up and draw a picture for my new friend?"  
  
"Of course, Honey. Don't make a mess, though."  
  
"Okay, Daddy," Imani says as she jumps off Miss Parker's lap and runs up the stairs.  
  
"I swear that girl never walks anywhere," Jarod laughs. "I spend my whole day chasing after her."  
  
"I think I know the feeling. Like father, like daughter," Miss Parker laughs back. They enjoy the irony of the situation for a moment before allowing the laughter to die back down.  
  
"Thank you," she whispers. "For remembering me. I'm honored she has my name. But where does 'Imani' come from?"  
  
"That was my wife's idea," Jarod says with a small, haunted smile at the bittersweet memories. His mood getting just a little darker at the mention of Imani's mother.  
  
"You're married?" Yet another surprise she wasn't expecting. But he doesn't seem to hear her question and just continues on.  
  
"When she was pregnant, she would say that the baby was like how it says in the Bible - 'the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen'. She was the embodiment of faith. So that's what she wanted to call her. 'Imani' is Swahili for 'Faith'." He pauses for a moment and sighs deeply. "She taught me the true meaning of the word faith. But now, she's gone. And Imani's all I have left," he says quietly, trying hard to hold back the tears threatening to fall.  
  
"What happened to her, Jarod?" Miss Parker gently prods.  
  
"She passed away about a year ago," he whispers.  
  
"That was a simple enough answer, Jarod. But something tells me there's more to this story."  
  
"There's always more to the story when the Centre's involved," he sighs, but doesn't say anything else for awhile. Almost like he was trying to figure out where to begin.  
  
"Tell me about her Jarod. What was she like."  
  
"Her name was Sharisse. And she was the best person I'd ever met," Jarod begins. He stands up from his seat and walks over to the mantle over the fireplace, gently running his fingers over the many framed photos before selecting one and handing it to Miss Parker.  
  
"She's really beautiful," Miss Parker comments. She stares at the picture in her hand. It was one of Jarod, his wife and Imani as a tiny infant.  
  
"That was taken right after we moved into this house. Up until then, we were living with her mother, Miss Dee. It was nice being so close to her, but it was time for us to make a home. For Imani and for any other children we might have had."  
  
"You mentioned the Centre, Jarod. What did it have to do with you and Sharisse?" she asks, although not sure she wants to hear the answer. Too many dark secrets have come from that place. And just when you think you've seen it all, something else horribly unthinkable surfaces. Miss Parker had a feeling that Jarod's story was one of those instances.  
  
"Up until four years ago, Sharisse Nelson had a normal life. She lived in a normal town with a normal family. Her parents were Hampton and Deidre Nelson. Wonderful people and well respected in the community. She had an older brother and sister, and there was also a foster brother named Billy, whom she took an immediate liking to. They were really close growing up. Kind of like us," he glances at her with a warm smile.  
  
"Billy and Sharisse were bright. Very bright. Smarter than most kids their age. Geniuses almost. And after high school, Billy left. To go out and try to make a life for him and Sharisse. They planned on running away together after she graduated. Sharisse still had another two years, and at first, she heard from Billy all the time. But eventually, the communication stopped. And she didn't hear from him at all. She felt hurt and rejected. So sad that he had left her all alone in the world. She had so much going on in her mind and no one understood like Billy.  
  
"Eventually she moved on with her life. And for years she was able to live without Billy. Then about five years ago, her father died. Once again, she was crushed. She didn't feel as if she had much of a place in this world. Only Billy could help her. So she set out to search for him. A search that led her to the Centre." He stops the story again to go search for a photo album. He brings it back and sets it on the table in front of Miss Parker.  
  
It opens to an older family photo. She sees a man standing next to a younger version of Miss Dee and she assumes that's Sharisse's father. She sees Sharisse's older brother and sister. Then she sees another young man with his hand on Sharisse's shoulder. With surprisingly familiar face that makes Miss Parker's blood begin to boil.  
  
"Tell me that's not who I think it is," she groans. Her knuckles white from grasping the album too hard.  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you, Miss Parker. But Little Billy Nelson grew up to be your favorite sweeper - Willie."  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Tell me that's not who I think it is," she groans. Her knuckles white from grasping the album too hard.  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you, Miss Parker. But Little Billy Nelson grew up to be your favorite sweeper - Willie."  
  
"I just can't believe it," she stutters. "How can a monster like Willie come from such good people like these? He seems to be so much the product of the Centre. Almost as if he was born there. Like it's in his blood."  
  
"It doesn't make much sense to me, either," Jarod sympathizes. "But Sharisse loved him. According to her, he was a good man. She thought enough of him to track him to the Centre. But she didn't really know what she was getting herself into.  
  
"She had heard about a study they were doing. Some research dealing with the health problems of young African American women. She figured it was a good way to get inside to look for 'Billy', as well as helping out her fellow man. She managed to get into the program. But once she got there, she found out it was more than she expected. For one thing, she turned out to be the only subject. And when she started to leave, they drugged her. At least, she assumed they drugged her. Because she woke up two weeks later with no memory of the time between when she got there, and that moment she woke up. All she knew was that she was still at the Centre. And that she was pregnant."  
  
"What did they do to her?" Miss Parker cries, a few tears escaping. "How could they violate her like that?"  
  
"Raines wanted another pretender. And if he couldn't find me, he figured he'd make himself one," Jarod spits out.  
  
"But why her? Why Sharisse? She just sounds like she was at the wrong place at the wrong time," Miss Parker wonders.  
  
"Because that's how they planned it. See, Raines wanted to experiment. He wanted to try to . . . breed me. But by using different women of different nationalities and races to see what 'turned out'." Jarod feels his stomach start to churn again as he vomits the vile words from his mouth. The very thought of someone like Raines playing around with nature repulsed him. Knowing that Raines was so freely trying to reproduce him. It was sickening. He looks over to see how Miss Parker is handling the story and sees that she's turning a little green as well.  
  
"But they couldn't take too many risks," Jarod continues. "Raines wanted a suitable mother for my child. Someone very smart. Beyond intelligent. Practically a genius. And they couldn't exactly use you. I'm sure they realized you wouldn't be too happy about being impregnated with my child against your will. So they needed someone else. Finding Sharisse was no problem. Willie knew first hand how bright she was. And he was looking to score some brownie points with Raines. So he arranged for her to be the surrogate. She didn't just happen to be there, Miss Parker. She was lured there. And then they used her.  
  
"Months passed and she had little contact with anyone. They sent doctors and nurses to take care of her. And they made sure she had plenty of fresh air and sunlight. But the only person she really connected with was Angelo. He knew things about what they were planning with her, and he kept her informed. He told her about me and why they'd even want to create my child. Her and Angelo became really good friends.  
  
"But, the day came when he couldn't protect her any longer. About 4 months into the pregnancy, they figured she was far enough along for them to run some preliminary tests. The amniocentesis showed that the baby definitely had the Pretender gene. But the ultrasound showed that the baby was a girl, so the gene was recessive. They had no more use for either of them. They made plans to terminate them both. Angelo found out. Contacted me. And together, we rescued Sharisse from that place.  
  
"I had planned to stay with her just long enough to keep her safe. And to make sure I knew where she'd be with the baby. But a day turned into a week. And a week turned into a month. We were becoming better friends. And watching my baby grow inside of her was . . . . let's just say I became attached. I couldn't leave them. I didn't want to leave them. But, Sharisse was still so hurt over Willie's betrayal. She needed her family. However, she felt like she couldn't go home pregnant and unwed. So we got married."  
  
"Did you love her?" Miss Parker asks quietly. She tries to ignore the small pain in her chest where her heart was breaking.  
  
"At the time? No," he admits. "But things changed. At first, we were just friends. Really good friends. So it's not like we couldn't stand to be in the same room with each other. But we also would have to put on a show for her family and friends. To make them think we were a happily married couple. You know, holding hands, stealing kisses. That kind of thing. But after awhile, it was hard to tell what was pretend and what was real anymore. When I held her hand even when it was just the two of us, it felt real. And when I would hold her in my arms and kiss her. It didn't feel like I was pretending. And the times we spent making love all night long was as real as it got." He gets quiet again, but this time doesn't try to stop the tears from falling.  
  
"We loved each other. But not in the traditional way. Because our hearts still belonged to other people. Shari still loved Willie and I . . ."  
  
"Still?" Miss Parker asks incredulously. "After all he did? How could she possibly still have loved him?"  
  
"We can't control who we love, Miss Parker," he tells her matter of factly before turning his back to her to stare out of the window. "To Shari, Willie was still her 'Billy'. Only he'd gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd and lost his way. To me, you'll always be that little girl who gave me my first kiss. The girl who stole my heart. I can't even imagine anything you could do to make me stop loving you. That's how Shari felt about Willie." He hears her sniffle behind him and he knows she's crying too.  
  
"Anyway, despite all of that, we realized we were lucky. We knew that we weren't meant to be, but we were lucky to have each other. We were lucky that we made each other happy. So we decided to make the most of the situation and live our happy life and raise a happy child. And we did just that. After Imani was born, we bought this house and got settled. It was a good life and I took care of my family. I only did a few pretends and cut off almost all contact with you and Sydney. Because in this house with Shari and the baby, I knew who I was. I didn't have a last name to give them, but I knew who I was. I was a good husband. And I was a good father. I didn't need to search anymore.  
  
"Right after Imani turned one, Shari starts to get sick. She had a pretty rough time when she was pregnant with Imani, so at first she thought we might be having another baby. But she started to get really, really sick. We went to doctors, but they couldn't figure out what the problem was. They just knew that she had something foreign and unknown in her blood. They just didn't know what. Right then, I knew they had done something to her. I knew that Raines was still playing his sick games, even after all this time."  
  
"It all makes sense now," Miss Parker cries suddenly. "It was the PQ9486, wasn't it?"  
  
Jarod just nods his head, unable to speak of the horrible fate the Centre signed for Sharisse.  
  
"That time you called last year. The last time we heard from you. It was a different phone call. Not the usual call I'd get from you when you just wanted to torment me. I didn't realize it then because I was just so relieved to hear from you. We were afraid something had happened to you because we hadn't heard from you in so long. You called and told us to keep our eyes on Raines. To see what he was doing with pregnant women and experimental drugs. That's when Broots dug up the information on PQ9486. Jarod, tell me he didn't give her that," she says, feeling pretty horrified.   
  
PQ9486 was a death sentence. Except, it had a delayed reaction. It systematically alters all of the cells in your body and then triggers an attack on your system with your cells fighting against you instead of for you. Raines used it on all of his subjects so he wouldn't have to worry about missing person reports anymore. When he was finished with them, he'd give them a dose of the drug and release them back into the public. They'd soon die from what doctors would just assume to be a bad reaction to a mysterious virus. No way to tie them back to the Centre.  
  
"From what I could tell about the drug, the time it takes for it to launch a full attack on the body is related to how much of the drug is administered. Broots said that all those women got fairly large doses of the drug and we dead within days of being released. My guess is that they gave Shari a small amount when she first got there," Jarod hypothesizes. Just enough to make it start working in her body, but not enough so that any harm would be done to the fetus."   
  
Miss Parker's head was swimming. It never ceases to amaze her the things that the Centre can think up. And just when it seems like things have gotten about as vile and repulsive as they can get. Something like this happens. They knew about Raines' renegade projects and the experimental drugs that he was constantly developing. But the severity of it all is suddenly sinking in. And the idea of actually knowing the outcome of one of his sick 'experiments' was more than she could handle.  
  
"Jarod, I think I'm going to be sick," Miss Parker grunts. "Which way is your . . . "  
  
"Bathroom? Up the stairs. Make a left and go all the way to the end of the hall," he barely manages to get out before she speeds away.  
  
She just barely makes it to the toilet before becoming violently ill and emptying the contents of her stomach. She was never one to have a weak stomach, but all this was just too much. Too much to deal with at one time. But when she thinks about it, she starts to feel ashamed as well. Because she only had to listen to the story. Jarod was the one who told it. He was the one who lived it.  
  
She goes to the sink and splashes some cold water on her face. Looking in the mirror, she sees how bad she looks. Her eyes red and bloodshot from all the crying she didn't even realize she was doing. Her makeup streaked and running. She leans back over the sink and completely washes off her make up. Then she pulls her hair up into a ponytail. When she's more pleased with her appearance, she heads back downstairs. She's distracted, however, by the room at the opposite end of the hall. In the middle of it sat Imani. Sitting at a little table drawing a picture. Miss Parker leans against the door frame and watches the little girl for awhile, her smile growing by the second as she listens to the girl talk to what she can only assume is an imaginary friend.  
  
"Who are you talking to, Imani?" Miss Parker says, stepping into the room and going to sit down in one of the little chairs around the table.  
  
Imani looks behind her at the door to make sure no one else was there. Then she leans over to Miss Parker and whispers in her ear.  
  
"I'm talking to Mommy," she says quietly before proceeding with her artwork.  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Miss Parker sits in stunned silence, not sure how to deal with the latest revelation from the little girl sitting next to her.  
  
"Wh..what did you say, Imani?" she finally asks.  
  
"I'm talking to my mommy," Imani whispers again. "But don't tell Daddy."  
  
"Imani, Sweetie. How old are you?"  
  
"Two halves," she says with a smile. "I'm gonna be three soon."  
  
"Two and a half?" Miss Parker corrects with a little smile at the girl's cuteness. "Almost three? So you're pretty grown up, huh?"  
  
"Yep. Daddy says I'm his little lady," Imani says.  
  
"So, you're old enough to know what it means when someone dies."  
  
"Granny said that Mommy is up to Heaven," Imani tells her. "I miss her so much. Sometimes she comes and talks to me when no one else is here."  
  
"Imani, your Mommy loved you very much. But she can't come back from where she is now," Miss Parker tries to explain. "My mommy is in Heaven, too, Imani. And as much as I wish I could talk to her . . ."  
  
"I know that she is," Imani interrupts. "She's there with my mommy. They're friends." Imani gets out of her chair and walks over to Miss Parker, climbing up in her lap. "I was talking to them both when you came in. They told me that they brought you here to help Daddy take care of me and that we were going to be friends forever."  
  
"Imani, that's impossible," Miss Parker insists. "As much as we want to talk to our mommies, we can't anymore."  
  
"At first, I was scared. Because she looked exactly like you. I thought something bad happened to you and you had to go to Heaven like my mommy. But she was really nice. She said not to worry. Because you were her little girl."  
  
"Imani, that's impossible," Miss Parker repeats, this time with tears threatening to fall. Not so much because she didn't believe Imani, but because she was starting to get frightened that what the little girl was saying could possibly be true. How else would Imani know what her mother looked like?  
  
"Oh, don't cry Angel Girl," Imani tries to comfort. But it only frightens Miss Parker even more.  
  
"What did you say? Imani, why did you call me that?" Miss Parker cries. It was a name she hadn't heard in a long, long time. Since she was a little girl. A name only her mother used.  
  
"Hey, what are you two ladies up to?" Jarod's sudden appearance startles Miss Parker. But Imani's happy to see him as usual. She jumps up into his arms, giving Miss Parker enough time to wipe away the newest set of tears streaming down her face before pasting on a fake smile.  
  
"Not much, Daddy. Just girl stuff," the little girl giggles.  
  
"Girl stuff, huh? You okay, Parker?" Jarod asks, concerned that she's visibly upset about something.  
  
"What? Oh yeah. Just like Imani said. Girl stuff," she says distantly. "Actually, I was just about to ask Imani if I could take you guys out for some ice cream or something."  
  
"Ooh, Daddy please. Please can we go?" Imani begs.  
  
"I'm not so sure," Jarod starts, looking at Miss Parker suspiciously. "I need to see what else Miss Parker had in mind. Where else she wanted to go."  
  
"Just for ice cream," she assures. "My car is in the shop and they said it would be ready around six. I figured we could get some ice cream and hang out awhile before I had to leave."  
  
"Your car's in the shop?" Jarod asks, starting to get a little confused. But also relieved that she hasn't mentioned anything about calling sweepers.  
  
"Yeah, the funniest thing. I was just passing through. My rental broke down. It's being fixed now."  
  
"So finding me was just . . . "  
  
"Purely a coincidence, Jarod," she admits.  
  
"And . . . "  
  
"And it's going to stay that way," she says finally. "As far as I'm concerned, my car broke down and I stopped here to get it fixed. End of story."  
  
"Thank you," he mouths to her, grateful that she wasn't taking him in. "Ice cream would be great. Imani, grab your jacket in case it's a little chilly on the way home."  
  
"Yeah!" Imani screams. She runs to get her jacket while Jarod and Miss Parker goes downstairs to wait for her.  
  
"I really don't know how to thank you," Jarod repeats. "I knew I wouldn't be able to fight you if you were here to take me in. Not with Imani. Things are different now."  
  
"No need to thank me, Jarod. You really don't belong there. I should be thanking you for making me see that. You two just be careful. And make sure you take good care of that little girl. Her being my namesake and all," Miss Parker says with a smile. "Oh, and speak of the little devil. There she is now."  
  
Imani finally comes down and the three of them head towards the ice cream shop. It's a only a couple of blocks from the house, so they decide to walk. When they get there, Jarod goes to place the order while Miss Parker and Imani find a booth. It doesn't take long, and soon he joins them, his hands full of the confectionary treat.  
  
"This really is a nice little town," Miss Parker sighs, looking out the window at the happy little town. "Just the kind of place I always pictured myself living. The kind of life I always dreamed of having."  
  
"I know," Jarod remarks. "I remember thinking how much you'd love it here when Sharisse and I came. And the house was just like something out of one of your dreams. The little two story brick house surrounded by a perfectly manicured lawn and a white picket fence. A swing on the porch and kids running up and down the street."  
  
"You remember all that?" she asks, blushing at her silly childhood fantasies.  
  
"Of course, Parker. Those were our dreams. Ones we made together. I'd never forget them," he says with a smile.   
  
The smile distracts her and makes her lose all train of thought. It made her feel kind of funny, causing her heart to skip a beat and her cheeks to grow even redder. It's crazy how he could do that to her. She felt her stomach start fluttering and her hands get sweaty. She felt her senses take leave while her heart took over. It was no denying it. She was in love. In that one instant it all became clear.  
  
She starts to nervously fidget around the table, looking for anything to get her mind off of Jarod and the sudden realization of her feelings for him. She finally spots a target in Imani.  
  
"Look at you, Baby Girl. You're a mess," Miss Parker says, getting a napkin to clean Imani's face.  
  
"You're pretty good at that. The mothering thing. I guess it's just a natural instinct or something," Jarod comments. He smiles at them and notices with pleasure how at ease they are with each other. He never really pictured Miss Parker as the maternal type. But seeing her with Imani sheds new light on her personality. She seemed so happy for once in her life. Carefree almost. Almost like the girl he once knew that long time ago.  
  
"There you go, Imani. All clean." Miss Parker smiles at the girl and can't resist planting a little kiss on her forehead. "Now, can you be a big girl and go put this stuff in the trash for me? It's right over there." She points Imani in the right direction of the trash can and then turns back around to finish her dessert. But she finds that Jarod is finishing it for her.  
  
"Sorry," he says sheepishly with a little grin. "Were you going to finish this? A banana split is huge. I didn't think a little woman like you could eat it all."  
  
"You better watch it, Oh Sexist One," she teases. "This little woman can kick your butt. Which is what's going to happen if you don't get your spoon out of my ice cream."  
  
"Okay, okay. I give up," he says, throwing up his hands in mock surrender. "How about we share?"  
  
"Me? Share? I don't think so." She gets a spoonful of ice cream and very seductively begins to eat it. "Hmmm. This is so good," she purrs. "You want some?"  
  
Jarod just nods his head enthusiastically, getting more and more drawn in by the little game they were playing.  
  
Miss Parker gets another spoon of ice cream and moves it towards Jarod's mouth in a teasingly slow fashion.   
  
"This is good," he agrees once the ice cream finally reaches his mouth. "Much better than mine."  
  
"Yeah, I can see that," she says trying hard to stifle a laugh, but without much luck.  
  
"What?" he asks, wondering why she's suddenly giggling.  
  
"Nothing," she says, still laughing. "It's just you have a little fudge on your chin. You're about as bad as the baby. Let me get you all cleaned up." She slides across the booth until she's right next to him. She reaches up and grabs his face with one hand while gently wiping the fudge from his chin with the thumb of her other hand.  
  
"Thanks," he whispers, suddenly aware of how close she was to him. Suddenly aware of the warmth coming from her hands as they still stroked his face. And suddenly aware of their lips drawing closer and closer together.  
  
He leans in, ready to close his eyes and kiss her when something outside the window catches his attention. Two black town cars pull in front of the hardware store across the street. Men in dark glasses get out and follow an impeccably dressed Lyle into the store.  
  
"You liar," Jarod growls. "And to think I actually believed you. I actually believed you cared."  
  
"Jarod, what are you talking about?" she asks, suddenly very confused. "I do care. What's going on here?"  
  
He looks outside again and she follows his gaze to the cars.  
  
"Oh no. Lyle," she whispers. "Jarod, I don't know what's going on here, but . . . " She stops abruptly when she notices that the seat next to her is empty. Jarod is gone. And so is Imani. She looks around the ice cream parlor in hopes of spotting them through her tear-blurred eyes. But she knows it's no hope. They're gone. And she'll probably never see them again.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
She walks down the halls of the Centre the same way she's been doing the month since Jarod's been gone. Dazed and distracted. Not seeming to care anymore about much of anything. Except for Jarod. But, he wasn't there. He took Imani and vanished without a trace. All ties and communication cut. But can she blame him? It was something she totally expected. Why would he contact her and risk his daughter's safety? She was sad, nevertheless. With an empty feeling on the inside that was eating away at her heart. Jarod always had a way of reaching her the way nobody else could. Those few hours she spent with him and Imani changed her life in a way she could have never imagined. They made her realize things she thought she had long forgotten. Her dreams of love and happiness. Her dreams of being someone's mother. Someone's wife. But, she realized too late that that someone was Jarod. And who knew she could grow to love a child in such a short amount of time. She sighs heavily as she slips into Sydney's office and plops down on his couch.  
  
"Parker, why don't you talk to me," the doctor pleads. "I know something is wrong. You haven't been yourself in almost a month." He walks across the room and sits down next to her, placing a reassuring hand on her back.  
  
"I think that's a good thing," she whispers, laying her head in his lap like she used to do when she was much younger. Back then, her problems were so simple, but Sydney always treated them like they were as important as any other business he had. She draws her knees up to her chest and starts sobbing.  
  
Sydney's a bit shocked, but goes with it. She hadn't come to him for comfort or advice in many, many years. He moves his hand from her back up to her hair and gently strokes it, soothing her until he feels that she's stopped shaking.  
  
"Why do you say that, Parker?" he gently prods, not wanting to press her for any information she wasn't ready to give.  
  
"Do you think I'm a bad person, Syd?"  
  
"You're the strongest person I know, Parker. You've had a lot to overcome growing up and you dealt with it the best way you knew how given the circumstances. And though I think you could have made some different choices along the way, that's not really my place to say. This is your life. You need to do what's going to make you happy. Not what you think others would want you to do."  
  
"I'm tired of doing what others expect me to do," she admits. "I'm tired of being a product of this place. I know the horrible, horrible things that go on, yet I do nothing to stop them. It's time for all of that to change."  
  
"What do you have in mind?" Sydney asks her tentatively, afraid that she was about to do something foolish. But also immensely proud that she was about to do something courageous.  
  
"Nothing right now. I just have to wait. Until the time is right. And my heart will tell me when the time is right."  
  
"Parker, since when do you listen to your heart? You always said that sentiment was for fools," Sydney laughs.  
  
"I was the fool Sydney. I said that because I didn't understand before. But I understand now. I now know the difference between the looks of contempt my father would give me when I failed him and the looks of disappointment you'd give me when I failed you. His came from hate. Yours came from love," she says to him with a small smile starting to grow on her face. She sits up to face him. "Thank you, Sydney. Thank you for loving me all this time. No matter how many times I disappoint you. I love you too. I could just never say it."  
  
"You never failed me, Parker," he says, pulling her into a hug. "I thought I failed you. Because I knew how much you needed someone to love you, but I never told you."  
  
"Syd, even if you did tell me, I wouldn't have believed it. I just couldn't have believed that someone could love someone else's child. I didn't think it was possible. Until it happened to me," she says with an even bigger smile, remembering the short time she had with Imani and feelings she developed. " I didn't know love worked that way. I always thought you loved the child born to you. Because they were a part of you. And because you can see yourself in their eyes. But love can make strange things happen. I've seen how a parent and child can look so different, but at the same time look exactly the same because of the reflection of true love in each other's eyes."  
  
"Miss Parker, something tells me you aren't this lovesick over a little girl. I'm sure her father has something to do with it as well," Sydney says knowingly. "Are you . . . in love with him? Are you in love with Jarod?" he whispers, afraid of anyone hearing.  
  
"It doesn't really matter," she says sadly. "Because he's gone. He's never coming back. I missed my chance, Syd. I blew it."  
  
"Are you sure about that? I've known him about as long as I've know you. He might just need some time to cool off. He'll realize you had nothing to do with Lyle showing up that day . . ." A knock at the door interrupts him. They both look up and sees the door slowly swing open as Broots pokes his head in.  
  
"Sorry for interrupting. But this just came. I thought you'd want to see it, Miss Parker," Broots says. He hands an envelope over to her and has to do a double take when he hears two words escape her lips.  
  
"Thank you," she says quietly, surprising herself as much as Broots.  
  
"No problem. I think it's from Jarod," he adds.  
  
"Well, there's only one way to find out." She carefully opens the envelope, not wanting to damage the contents. She's shocked to find only a piece of paper inside. No gift. No joke. No cryptic message. Just a note:  
  
THEY TOOK MY LOVE. THEY TOOK MY TRUST. I'M QUITTING BEFORE THEY CAN GET MY FAITH. CONGRATULATIONS, MISS PARKER. YOU WIN. GAME OVER.  
  
"Game over," she whispers the last line, letting the note slip from her hand. "I blew it. I blew it."  
  
Imani was everything to him. All he had left. She was his faith. And he'd give up everything for her. Miss Parker was more certain than ever that she'd never see them again.  
  
Jarod was right about one thing in his note. The game was over. But, why did it feel like she was the one who lost?  
  
To be continued in The Trust Game 


	2. The Trust Game

Title: The Trust Game  
Author: Nicky (NickyM96@yahoo.com)  
Rating: PG  
Category/Keywords: JMPF/R  
Summary: Takes place months after that fateful day at the ice cream parlor. Can Miss Parker find a way to make Jarod to trust her again? Will she ever be able to trust herself?  
Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.  
  
Book II: The Trust Game  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Miss Parker stares absently at the computer screen in front of her. Broots was standing over her yammering on about some new tracking program he developed to do something she didn't really want to know about. For all she cared, it could have held the secrets of the universe. It didn't matter to her. Nothing mattered to her anymore. Not her job. Not her so called family. Nothing. It's been seven months since that day at the ice cream parlor with Jarod and Imani. The day he thought she betrayed him.   
  
They were so close that day. Laughing. Talking. Eating ice cream. And she found herself falling more and more in love with him with each passing second. Everything he did seemed different that day. The smug grin that constantly adorned his face and usually made her blood boil with anger instead was stirring up feelings of desire and passion. And the wide-eyed innocence that usually annoyed her was instead rather endearing. She even didn't mind it so much when he tried to steal her ice cream.  
  
"What?" he asks, wondering why she's suddenly giggling.  
  
"Nothing," she says, still laughing. "It's just you have a little fudge on your chin. You're about as bad as the baby. Let me get you all cleaned up." She slides across the booth until she's right next to him. She reaches up and grabs his face with one hand while gently wiping the fudge from his chin with the thumb of her other hand.  
  
"Thanks," he whispers, suddenly aware of how close she was to him. Suddenly aware of the warmth coming from her hands as they still stroked his face. And suddenly aware of their lips drawing closer and closer together.  
  
Her heart was beating so quickly she thought it was about to jump out of her chest. And although her eyes were closed, she knew what was about to happen. She could almost anticipate the kiss. His warm breath was washing over her face in short, jagged bursts. She could even hear his heart pounding in rhythm with hers. She felt an electric shock tingle her skin the closer they got. Then, with their lips just mere micrometers apart, so close she could feel his mouth brush slightly against her own, her world came crashing down around her.  
  
"You liar," Jarod growls. "And to think I actually believed you. I actually believed you cared."  
  
"Jarod, what are you talking about?" she asks, suddenly very confused. "I do care. What's going on here?"  
  
He looks outside again and she follows his gaze to the cars.  
  
"Oh no. Lyle," she whispers. "Jarod, I don't know what's going on here, but . . . " She stops abruptly when she notices that the seat next to her is empty. Jarod is gone. And so is Imani.  
  
Miss Parker quickly stops a tear before it can begin it's descent down her face. She'd been doing a lot of that these past few months. Too much, some would say. But she couldn't help it. Her heart ached so much with an empty pain she's never known.   
  
"If you just let it all out, it'll get better," Sydney whispers in her ear.   
  
She looks up at him and then quickly scans the room, suddenly embarrassed that she was breaking down in front of him and Broots.  
  
"Don't worry. Broots left. I sent him home early. I knew you wouldn't want him to see you getting this upset," Sydney tells her. "Thinking about Jarod again?"  
  
"Is it that obvious?" she asks with a shaky voice, allowing a few more of her tears to fall. Just a few. Because if she truly let go, then she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop. "I've been thinking about him since he left that day. I can't help it."  
  
"For so long, your lives were intertwined. What affected one of you, affected the both of you in one way or another," Sydney explains.  
  
"How long is it going to hurt like this, Sydney? Because I don't know how much more I can take."  
  
"I honestly don't know, Miss Parker. You finally admitted to yourself that you loved him. You've loved him for quite some time, I imagine. Something like that lasts a life time. You won't forget it any time soon. And you may not believe this now, but he won't be able to forget, either."  
  
"I think he's already forgotten," she sighs. "Sydney, it's been six months since we got that note. I don't think he's coming back ever again."  
  
"What are you going to do now?" he asks her curiously. "Because you can't go on like this. You're barely making it, Parker. I've noticed it. Broots noticed it. I'm sure Lyle and your father have noticed as well. If you're not careful, you might find yourself taking a little trip to be 're-educated' soon."  
  
"I don't know," she confesses. "But you're right. I can't go on like this. Jarod's always been in my life. For as long as I can remember. But he's gone now. And I don't know who I am anymore."  
  
"Why don't you take some time to figure it out," Sydney advises. "Take a couple of days and go someplace to clear your head. It might do you some good to step away from the situation for a little while."  
  
"Where would I . . . . "  
  
"My cabin is always available to you. Feel free to use it for as long as you like."  
  
"Thank you," she says with a sincere smile. "I think I just might take you up on your offer." She wipes the last of the tears from her face before standing to hug the man. The man who's been more of a father to her than her own had been. A man who's seen her at her worst, but loved her nonetheless. A man who's seen her through her worst and asked for nothing in return. But she was glad that she was finally able to give him her love.  
  
"Take care of yourself, Parker."  
  
"I will. Thanks Sydney. Thank you for everything. I love you," she says, placing a kiss on his cheek.  
  
"I love you, too," he says, returning the gesture. "I'll see you when you get back."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Coming to the cabin had been a brilliant idea. Already being away from the Centre was making her feel 110% better. After getting the car unpacked and the groceries stocked in the kitchen, she goes into the bedroom and peels off her hot, sticky clothes. She digs through her suitcase until she finds an outfit more comfortable. She pulls on a tank top and a pair of cargo shorts and goes out on the porch to enjoy the rest of the day.  
  
He watches as she swings lazily on the hammock hanging on one side of the porch. Eyes closed. Arms and one leg dangling over the sides. She seemed to be trying to relax, but he could still see the stress around her eyes.  
  
"It's good one of us can let their guard down," he says to her, now standing mere inches away from her. Her surprised eyes fly open, revealing cool seas of blue that sends a tingling down his spine. He finds he has to shake himself out of her spell before completing his thoughts. "I don't have that luxury."  
  
"Jarod," she says simply, trying hard to hide her relief at seeing him and knowing he's alright. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I thought I'd surprise you. Let you know what it feels like to have someone suddenly show up and ruin your life. Like you did the last time we met like this. Imani and I have been on the run since then, thanks to you."  
  
"Well, you seem to have it all figured out," she spits out, her words suddenly taking on a sharp edge. "I'm surprised you have to nerve to get this close to me. Aren't you afraid of me taking you back?"  
  
"I figured I'd give you a chance to explain yourself. Explain how you can come into my home and use my family the way that you did. Explain to me how you can live with yourself knowing you broke my baby's heart. Imani really liked you, Miss Parker."  
  
"Explain to you?" Anger flashes in her eyes and she hops out of the hammock to stand face to face with him. "I don't have anything to explain, Jarod. How about you explain to me why you don't trust me . . ."  
  
"Trust you?" he interrupts with a laugh. "You're joking, right? Why would I trust you? You've been chasing me for years, Miss Parker. Threatening to take me back to that place. You tried to seduce me. And it almost worked. I almost thought we had a chance at that life we always dreamed of. But I got distracted. And I saw your brother and a team of sweepers just across the street. You lied to me Parker. I thought you cared about me. I thought you cared at least about Imani. . . ."  
  
He doesn't see it coming. The hand she held at her side, clenching and unclenching the fist throughout his tirade. Finally, she can't take any more and hauls off and punches him, right in the eye.  
  
"Don't you EVER call me a liar again, Jarod," she screams. "How can you say that? How can you think I would do that? I'll admit that we've had a strange relationship. We used to best friends. You were there for me at the worst times of my life. But then we grew up. We changed. And we grew apart. But there was always something between us. An unspoken game of trust that we would play. I had a job to do. To bring you back to the Centre. But it was more like a game we played. With unwritten rules that neither of us broke. How could you think that I would break them now? Jarod, I've never lied to you. I've always been straight with you. I've always done what I said I was going to do. I've always played the game fairly. I would never stoop to using emotional warfare to trap you." She ends her monologue and dissolves into tears right in front of him.  
  
"You didn't know about Lyle being there?" he asks quietly, suddenly starting to realize he misjudged her.  
  
"I didn't know. I would have never made you a sitting duck like that. I would have never done something like that to Imani. No matter what you think of me, no matter what I've done to you, it really hurts to know you think I'm a monster," she cries.  
  
"I'm sorry. I should have trusted you. I was just too afraid of getting my heart broken. And I refused to let you break Imani's heart." He pulls her into his arms and hugs her tightly until she stops crying. Gently stroking his hand up and down her back to comfort her.  
  
"I should be getting back to Imani," he whispers when she's calmed down.  
  
"Tell her I miss her," Miss Parker begs. "That I think about her all the time."  
  
"She misses you too, Miss Parker," he smiles.  
  
"Can you do me a favor? Can you give her something for me?"  
  
"Sure," he agrees. "Where is it?"  
  
"Right here." She steps up on her toes until she can reach the top of his head and places a kiss on his forehead. "Promise you'll give her one of those every night you tuck her in. Just to let her know I'm thinking about her."  
  
"That's sweet, Miss Parker. She'll be very happy. I promise I'll do it," he says, following her to the door. He wants to make sure she gets inside safely before he leaves.  
  
"I have something for you, too," she says coyly. She turns around just as her foot steps inside the cabin.   
  
The move surprises him and he has to abruptly stop before he crashes into her. They're standing face to face now and he can see a sly smile spread across her lips just as they brush against his own.  
  
She pulls him closer to deepen the kiss, and her arms wrap around his neck. She doesn't want to let him go, but she knows she must end it soon.  
  
He feels himself gets pulled into her arms and suddenly can't think of any other place he'd rather be. His own arms respond and wrap around her waist, pulling her closer and closing what little gap there was between them. But just as suddenly as she had kissed him, he soon finds his arms empty. He reaches out to her for another kiss, but she puts a hand up between them.  
  
"You have to go. Imani, remember?" she says with a teasing laugh.  
  
"What? Oh yeah. Imani. I have to go," he's finally able to piece together. However, he just stands there, looking stunned and a little confused.  
  
"Good night, Jarod," she purrs, winking at him before giving him a slight push out of the doorway so that she can close it.  
  
He stands there for a few more minutes while his mind processes what just happened. He stares at the door, almost as if he was trying to will it to open, but it never did. He finally recovers completely from Miss Parker's surprise and starts to laugh. He shakes his head as he walks down the path to where his car was parked. He didn't know if what she did was a trick. Or a plan to get him back to the Centre. But frankly he didn't care. Because the moments her lips left his, he knew he'd do anything to kiss them again. He didn't see himself running too far from her in the future. Not away from those lips. Or those kisses. But for some strange reason, he didn't feel that he would have to anymore.  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Miss Parker glides down the halls of the Centre, not feeling at all like she did just a few short days ago. Things with Jarod had been straightened out, and she felt as if they were on the right path towards . . . something. She didn't know what, but she felt good about it, whatever it was. Almost as if it were a new start for both of them. Another chance at love and happiness.  
  
Her obvious change in attitude was apparent to everyone she encountered. The desk clerks whom she normally ignored got a smile and a nod from her today. The random sweepers patrolling the hallways that normally were victim of her icy glare were greeted today by a warm and sincere hello.  
  
"Good morning, Miss Parker," Broots stutters, cowering behind Sydney. Not yet aware of the good mood ruling his normally grouchy boss.  
  
"Hey Broots," she says with a warm smile. She holds her arms open and embraces Sydney. "Good morning, Syd. Thanks again for letting me use your cabin."  
  
"I take it things went well for you," the old man insinuates.  
  
"Very well," she smiles. Then she looks over at a very shocked Broots and laughs. "It's really me, Broots. I guess Spring Fever can strike anyone."  
  
"Well, your day is about to get even better," Broots promises. "A package arrived just this morning from Jarod. I think it may pinpoint his whereabouts. I have it right here."  
  
She takes the package from Broots, trying hard to conceal the smile beginning to form on her lips. Her stomach starts to do little flip-flops at the mere mention of his name. She realizes, though, that she can't contain her excitement and rips open the package like a small child at Christmas. Inside the box were fixings for banana splits - minus the ice cream and whipped cream, of course. But everything else was there. Even the bananas. Reminiscent of that day in the ice cream parlor all those months ago.  
  
"That fudge sauce is a special brand, made only one place in the country," Broots tells them.   
  
"How do you know that, Broots?" Sydney is curious.   
  
"I'm not supposed to be telling you this, Miss Parker. But you know my loyalty lies only with you," the computer technician starts. "I got in really early this morning. I walked by your office and was surprised to see your light on. When I peeked in, I saw Lyle at your desk, looking through the box. He made me do some research on the items in the box to see if I could find a lead on Jarod. There didn't seem to be any clues we could use. Only the fact that the fudge sauce is made only in this little town in South Carolina. In fact, the town is famous for it . . . "  
  
"A little town in South Carolina," she gasps. All the blood drains from her face and she suddenly feels very panicked. It was in a little town in South Carolina seven months ago her car broke down. She was on her way from a conference in Charlotte, North Carolina to meet up with Lyle in Florida. It was in that same little town that she stumbled upon Jarod and his family. And it was in that little town when she first realized she was in love with him.  
  
She keeps on looking through the box to see if she can find her own clues. Maybe something one of them had missed. Anything to end the feeling of doom coming over her. She comes across a piece of paper folded up and tucked into one of the empty bottles of sauce towards the bottom the box. She hurries to pull out the paper and almost cries at the sight. It's a picture drawn by Imani. Made especially for her. Miss Parker lets a small tear escape as her mind wanders back to the little girl who had stolen her heart. She can actually feel all the love the girl put into the picture. And just as strongly as she feels the love, she feels something else. Danger. Fear. More tears. But not hers. Imani's.   
  
"Lyle got this box first?" she manages to squeak out, trying hard to keep her own tears at bay. "Did you tell him yet about this place? Is he on the way there?"  
  
"He left about an hour ago," Broots admits. "I'm sorry, Miss Parker. I thought a lead on Jarod would make you happy. I didn't know that you . . ."   
  
"Don't worry about it, Broots. You were only doing your job," she assures the man. "Stay here and keep me posted on Lyle's progress. Syd, we have to get to South Carolina before Lyle does. Who knows what he'll do to whoever he finds there."  
  
The two race out of the Centre before Broots can get another word in edgewise. Something strange was going on with Miss Parker. He just didn't know what it was. Maybe she was just jealous that Lyle might capture Jarod before she could. Who knows. And who cares. It wasn't his job to question it.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"What's really going on, Parker?" Sydney gently asks once they get on the plane. They were going to fly down to the Charleston International Airport and rent a car there to drive to the little town Lyle was headed. With any luck, they wouldn't be too far behind him.  
  
"Lyle might find more than Jarod when he gets to South Carolina," Miss Parker sighs. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the folded up piece of paper she found in the box earlier that day. The one with the picture Imani drew for her. She fingers it tenderly, tracing every line and marking on the sheet. "He's been there for the past few years with his daughter and his wife's family."  
  
"Wife? You told me a little about the little girl. But never about where she came from. Talking about Jarod seemed to upset you, so I never asked much."  
  
"Well, it's a long story. One I can't get into right now. But I can tell you the Centre's involved. And if they found Jarod's daughter, then . . ."  
  
"You really care about her, don't you? And for Jarod," Sydney states. Able to see clearly now what's been bothering Miss Parker all of those months.  
  
"I love them both, Syd," she simply says. "That's why I have to get to Imani before Lyle does. She'll be terrified of him." She holds the drawing close to her chest and can't help the storm of tears that begins to fall.  
  
"Miss Parker, there's more to this than you're telling me," Sydney realizes. His psychiatrist mind was working overtime and he notices that the drawing seems to be eliciting deep emotions from her.  
  
"Syd, I can feel her," she whispers, almost afraid of what she was saying. "It's like . . . It's sort of like . . . Oh, I don't really know how to explain it. But when I held the picture, I could practically see her in my mind. And I saw her crying. I could feel her fear. And I knew at that moment I had to get to her."  
  
"Hmm," he grunts, pondering what she just told him.   
  
"What? What do you mean by 'hmm'? You don't seem surprised that I'm telling you this," she says.  
  
"To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not surprised. Not surprised at all," he smiles.  
  
"My mother?" she asks curiously.  
  
"Yes. Your mother had this same sort of sense. It's a sense a lot like Angelo's ability to empath. But usually occurs when you have a deep attachment to the subject. My guess is that this little girl got your biological clock ticking, so to speak. The maternal feelings you're having for her are what's making the empathetic connection so strong," he explains.  
  
"Oh," she says quietly, turning to look out of the window at the clouds passing by. They still had a long way before they got to South Carolina. Plenty of time to think about her feelings and this new 'sense' she's apparently developed.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Four and a half hours later found Miss Parker and Sydney pulling into the driveway at Jarod's house. The last time she walked through these doors, she had no idea what would be on the other side. She didn't know that she'd find a man trying his best to raise his daughter and keep her safe. She didn't know that she'd find a man that she would want to spend the rest of her life with. She didn't know that she would grow to love a child so much that she'd be able to feel whenever that child was in any kind of pain.  
  
She pulls out her gun and raises a shaky hand to open the screen door. Inside the house, she finds Lyle and a host of sweepers, tormenting the inhabitant.  
  
"Lyle!" she yells. "You mind telling me what's going on here?"  
  
"Sis. Nice of you to join us," Lyle sneers, mentally noting that the computer geek didn't take long to leak this tip to Miss Parker. "We were just questioning this nice old lady about our missing lab rat."  
  
"Looks like she's answered all of your questions," Miss Parker growls. She glances out of the corner of her eye and sees Miss Dee, Imani's grandmother, sitting in a chair in the corner. She looks frightened, but trying to hide it. She does a quick scan of the room and doesn't see Imani anywhere, a fact that gives her some relief, but also some fear. Where could the child be? Her question is answered in the next second. She turns back to see Miss Dee and sees the old woman flash a quick, yet reassuring smile as if the tell her that Imani was okay.  
  
"I guess so," Lyle says, noticing she still had the gun pointed his way and getting the hint that it was time to leave. "Come on guys. We're through here."   
  
All the men except for Sydney exit the house, followed by Miss Parker. She grabs Lyle on the porch and slams him against the door.  
  
"Since when are we in the business of harassing harmless old women, Lyle? Or was that in a memo I missed."  
  
"Listen, we had a tip that Jarod lived here. But apparently not. There's nothing in the house to indicate that," he admits.  
  
"And you couldn't figure that out just by walking in there?" she screams, exasperated at his actions. But also relieved that Jarod didn't get caught. "And where are you going?" she asks when he starts to walk away from her. "Don't you think you should smooth things over with the woman? Make sure she doesn't call the cops or something."  
  
"No, I'll leave that to you," he says, flashing her a cocky grin while putting on a pair of sunglasses. She turns her back and can hear him laughing at her all the way to the car. Little did he know, she was laughing at him all the way back into the house.  
  
"I'm so sorry about my brother," Miss Parker begins apologizing when she sees an obviously ticked off Miss Dee sitting across the room. "I had no idea what he was planning."  
  
"That's quite alright, Dear. Your friend Sydney here was explaining it all to me," Miss Dee says before getting a smile on her face. "Now, is that anyway to greet someone? Why don't you come over here and give me a hug, Miss Parker," she says with a laugh, adding that same taunting tone to her name as the first time the two women met.  
  
Miss Parker runs to the woman's open arms and can hardly stifle her own laugh. Miss Dee just wasn't going to let that little mistake go.  
  
"My name's Deidre Nelson. But everyone around here just calls me Miss Dee." She offers a hand to Miss Parker to shake, giving her a silent invitation to introduce herself.  
  
"Miss Parker. Everyone calls me Miss Parker."  
  
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Parker," the woman says, emphasizing the 'Miss' with a kind of mocking tone.  
  
"Actually, you don't have to call me that," Miss Parker says, with a shocking change of heart that surprises even herself. It just didn't sound right having the woman call her 'Miss' anything. For some reason, this woman's presence commanded respect. And Miss Parker suddenly feels as if she doesn't deserve her respect. "You can call me Tori."  
  
"How have you been, Miss Dee? It's been so long," Miss Parker inquires.  
  
"Much better than you could have been," the woman says. "I can only imagine what you've been going through. Because Jarod's been sulking around here for months now. Ever since you were here last."  
  
"He thought that I betrayed him," Miss Parker says, dropping her head remembering how bad the past few months had been for her. "But I didn't betray him. It was all a misunderstanding."  
  
"I figured as much. He was hurting, though. And there was nothing I or Imani could say to change his mind," Miss Dee smiles. "He's pretty stubborn that way."  
  
"That sounds just like him," Sydney adds.  
  
"You've known him long?" Miss Dee asks.  
  
"All his life. I practically raised him. And Miss Parker here," Sydney says. "I'm not proud of the way I facilitated in keeping either of them at that place, but . . ."  
  
"Jarod's a fine young man, Sydney. He was a good husband to my daughter and he's an excellent father to Imani. You should be proud. Because he had to get his values from someone. I'm guessing that someone is you. It's a reflection on you how he turned out." Miss Dee's smile fades a bit when she stops to think about her own children.  
  
"Miss Dee, you did a fine job raising your kids, too. All of them," Miss Parker assures her, knowing that the woman was thinking she failed Willie somehow. "But sometimes, things happen that are beyond anyone's control. And the Centre is one of those 'things'."  
  
"Billy was such a sweet boy," Miss Dee reflects.   
  
"Billy was your son?" Sydney asks curiously.  
  
"Foster son," Miss Parker corrects him. "But you know him better as Raines' sidekick, Willie."  
  
"He was always so polite and charming. And a handsome little devil," Miss Dee continues. "When he came to live with us, he stole everyone's heart, especially Sharisse. He was a lot like how Jarod is now. Sensitive and caring. Thoughtful and considerate. It's no wonder she and Jarod got along so well. Billy and Jarod even had that same smile. You know the one that Jarod has that melts your heart."  
  
"Oh, I'm more than familiar with that one," Miss Parker giggles, suddenly overwhelmed by a memory of that smile.  
  
"Yeah. That was my Billy. I haven't heard from him since he left, but Jarod's been telling me some things. How he works for that horrible place, the Centre. And he also told me he shot you. I'm sorry about that."  
  
"Don't be, Miss Dee. It wasn't your fault." Miss Parker grabs the woman's hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry we can't stay longer, but my evil twin will start to get a little suspicious if we don't turn up soon after he does. But before we go, do you think I can see Imani?"  
  
"Of course. My other daughter, Tracee, took her to the park before those men could see her. I told her not to come back until they left. But, they should be back any . . . "  
  
Just then, the door bursts open and blinding flash races past Miss Parker. All she can hear is the pitter patter of tiny feet hitting the floor that stop and hide behind Miss Dee's legs.  
  
" . . minute," Miss Dee finishes, trying to detach the little predator from her legs. "Imani, look who's here."  
  
"Miss Parker," the little girl squeals, unwrapping herself from around her grandmother and running over and jumping up into Miss Parker's open arms. "You came back."  
  
"Of course I did, Baby Girl. We're friends, remember? There's no way I'd leave you and never come back. I missed you so much."  
  
"I missed you too," Imani says, planting a little kiss on Miss Parker's cheek. "Can you stay?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Sweetie. We have to go. I won't be far, though. I promise. And you can call me, whenever you want. Preferably not at two in the morning, though," Miss Parker laughs, while the little girl is pretty confused, not understanding her father's knack for his middle of the night phone calls to Miss Parker. "Give me one more little kiss. I have to go."  
  
Imani obliges her and Miss Parker gives the girl an extra hug before finally letting her go. She says a hasty good-bye to Imani and Miss Dee and runs out of the house before anyone can see the tears.  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Sydney walks down the long hallway leading to Miss Parker's office. He knows that she's in there even at this late hour. She's been working late all week now. As if she were avoiding going home. He finally reaches the door and gives it a gentle tap before slowly easing the door open.  
  
"What are you still doing here, Parker?" the old man asks, worried about his young friend.  
  
"The same thing they pay me to do everyday, Syd. Work. What are you still doing here?"  
  
"The same thing I've been doing all your life, Parker. Looking after you. Making sure you're okay. I'm worried about you. Why are you keeping these insane hours?"  
  
She looks at him and sighs. She can see that all he wants to do is help, but how will it really help to talk about it?  
  
"I can't go home, Syd," she finally admits after a pause. "It's just so quiet there. It makes me think about what's missing in my life."  
  
"It makes you think of Jarod. And Imani," he realizes.  
  
"I have to keep them safe. Last week shouldn't have happened, Syd. I should have been able to prevent it. Lyle shouldn't have been able to harass Miss Dee the way that he did."  
  
"So you figure by staying here, you'll be able to predict his movements?" Sydney asks her, trying to understand her motivations. "Miss Parker, you do realize how silly that sounds."  
  
"I have to do something. I can't let something like that happen again. She's counting on me."  
  
"Who's counting on you, Parker? Imani? She's just a little girl. And from what I could see last week, she adores you. You don't have to put so much pressure on yourself to meet such high expectations."  
  
"Not just Imani. But Imani's mother. And my mother," she whispers. "And before you look at me like that, I know what you're thinking. They're dead. I know that. But Imani said something one time . . . They talk to her. I know that's not possible, but . . ."  
  
"Some people think that children can see and hear things that we can't. Including angels," Sydney tells her.  
  
"Really?" Miss Parker asks curiously. "Because Imani knew things. Like what my mother looked like. And a name that only my mother would call me. Is it possible that she could really speak to my mother? And her mother?"  
  
"I think the mind can rationalize anything. You'll believe whatever you want to believe. So the question is this, Parker. Do you want to believe that Imani was speaking to your mother? What is it she said that's haunting you so?"  
  
"Imani said that her mother and my mother led me to Jarod and Imani. To help take care of her," Miss Parker tells him.  
  
"So that's it," Sydney suddenly realizes. "That's why you feel such a connection with the child."  
  
"You think?" she asks. "You think this is just my mother's way of . . . "  
  
"It doesn't matter what I think," he interrupts. "What do you think? Because this is your life."  
  
"I feel like I'm supposed to be with this child. And I know that I couldn't love her any more even if I had given birth to her. There's a place in my heart that literally hurts when I'm not with her."  
  
"Well, then. I think you have your answer," he smiles. He goes over to her and pulls her out of her chair, leading her to the door. "Go home, Parker. Get some rest. And trust that everything will work out how it's supposed to."  
  
"Thanks, Syd," she says, leaning over to kiss his cheek before walking out of the door. "Good night."  
  
When she gets home, she's ready to peel her clothes off and climb in a hot shower to wash her day away. She throws her stuff on the table by the door and kicks her shoes off as she walks across the living room. She stops suddenly, a strange feeling slowly building in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn't quite right. She didn't know what it was, but she could feel it.  
  
She goes back to the table and grabs her gun, holding it out in front of her as she begins a search of the house. A tour through the kitchen, den, dining room and living room leaves her empty handed. She slowly heads up the stairs, still letting the gun lead the way. When she gets to the first guest bedroom she notices that the door is closed. But she can hear faint breathing on the other side. Her trembling hand slowly reaches out to grab the knob and start to turn it gently. But before she can open the door, it opens by itself, revealing her unexpected visitors.  
  
"Jarod," she almost screams.  
  
"Shhh!" he whispers, pointing to the little body laying in the bed.  
  
Miss Parker looks over his shoulder at the sleeping Imani and smiles at the little girl. She looked like and angel, sleeping peacefully despite the fact that she was in a strange place. Comforted by the safety offered by the presence of her father.  
  
She puts the safety on the gun and tucks it into her waistband. It wasn't necessary anymore. Her intruder had been identified and was harmless. She directs her smile towards Jarod, before grabbing his hand and quietly leading him down the hall to her bedroom so that they could talk without risk of waking the baby.  
  
"I didn't mean to scare you," he apologizes. "But I couldn't exactly announce my arrival without risking someone finding out. I'm already putting you in jeopardy as it is."  
  
"Don't worry about me. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself, Jarod."  
  
"I know. That's why I'm here," he says softly, his mood suddenly turning very serious.  
  
"Jarod, what is it?" she asks, suddenly getting very worried. She sits down next to him on the bed and puts a reassuring hand on his knee.  
  
"Last week. At my house with Miss Dee. It was too close. I can't allow anything like that to happen again," Jarod begins.  
  
"I understand. I feel the same way. If only I had known what Lyle was up to," she says to him.  
  
"How could you have known? To hear Miss Dee tell it, you got there not long after Lyle did. You did all you could. It was good you got there when you did. But it makes me think about the future. And what would happen if something like that happened again? Maybe next time, Miss Dee won't be able to get Imani out of the house before someone saw her. Maybe they'll be able to grab her one day and figure out she's my daughter. I can't let that happen. I love Miss Dee, and I can't put her in that kind of danger. She's not prepared. When I have to be away, I need for Imani to be with someone who will be able to handle the situation."  
  
"Are you saying that you think that someone is me?" Miss Parker asks incredulously, finding it hard to believe that Jarod was about to entrust the life of his child to her.  
  
"I need you Miss Parker. To look after my little girl. She's all I have left. And I don't know what I would do if anything happened to her," he sighs, tears starting to form in his eyes.  
  
"She's not all you have left, Jarod. You still have me," Miss Parker says, inching closer to Jarod. "We're on the same side now."  
  
"What do you mean? I have to be entirely sure here, Miss Parker. I can't play games anymore. Imani's life is at stake." He stares deep into her eyes, hypnotized by the intense look she was giving him in return.  
  
"Maybe this can clear things up for you," she whispers, slowly moving her face closer to his.   
  
Their lips meet for a seemingly endless second. And in that one second they both feel the years of anger melt away. All the times they hurt each other disappear into a bottomless pit. The harsh words spoken to drive each other way now turn into declarations of love, whispered sweetly into each other's ears.  
  
"I hope that gave you something to think about," she purrs into his ear, gently tugging on the lobe with her teeth.  
  
"To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not in any shape to do much thinking right about now," he says hoarsely, trying hard to catch his breath after that kiss. A warm breeze that she exhales glides down his neck as she plants a trail of hot kisses from his ear down to his chest.  
  
"Thinking can be overrated at times," she murmurs between the kisses that were driving him crazy. She takes the kisses back up, following the path she just made until she ends up at his lips again.  
  
"We can't do this. Not tonight," he manages to say just as she takes his mouth hostage. He takes her in his arms and holds for awhile, trying to convince his heart to listen to his head. "We don't have to rush anything. We have forever."  
  
She reaches up and gives him one last kiss before finally releasing him from her embrace. They walk hand in hand to the door where they have to say good night.  
  
"You better lock this," he says with a smile. "In case I change my mind."  
  
"Just go," she laughs. "Before I won't let you leave. And you'll be my prisoner. You'll be mine forever."  
  
"I've always been yours," he tells her and then quickly kisses her on the lips before she can say anything. "Good night."  
  
She watches in silence as he turns and practically runs down the hall to the other bedroom, gently closing the door so he wouldn't wake up Imani. She does the same and then finds herself almost gliding across the room, as if she were up on a cloud. She finally makes it to the bed and sinks deep into the pillows with a huge smile on her face. Her eyes close in happy reflection and soon sleep takes over, allowing the sweet dreams of Jarod's luscious lips to rule her mind.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Miss Parker awakens to the sound of muffled giggles coming from downstairs. She rolls over and looks at her clock, the bright red display showing the time to be almost noon. She hops out of bed and pulls on a robe before going downstairs to join her houseguests.  
  
"Look who's up, Daddy," Imani squeals, jumping of the couch and running to the base of the stairs where Miss Parker is standing. "Daddy said we had to be real quiet to let you get your rest."  
  
"That was sweet of you and your daddy," she says to the little girl, lifting her up and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before setting her back down. "But I usually don't sleep this late on Saturdays. I'm so sorry I haven't been a very good hostess. Did you find something to eat?"  
  
"Daddy made some chocolate chip pancakes," Imani tells her.  
  
"Mmm. My favorite. But I can't eat them alone. You think I can convince you to eat some more with me?"   
  
The little girl nods her head enthusiastically and runs into the kitchen, leaving the two adults shaking their heads and laughing, wondering where she gets her endless energy from.  
  
"I told you she never walks," Jarod laughs. He slides over on the couch, making room for Miss Parker to sit down. "She makes me tired just watching her."  
  
"I just hope I can keep up with her," Miss Parker says, joining him on the couch.  
  
"You'll do fine. I trust you," he says quietly, gently brushing a wisp of hair behind her ear. His fingers slide lightly down the side of her face and begins to trace the curve of her lips before he leans in the kiss them.  
  
"That's nice," she whispers. "How about another one?"  
  
He obliges her, taking her fully into his arms and gives her another kiss that leaves them both breathless.   
  
"I have to leave soon," he says after a silent moment they share. It's time I start to put my plan into action."  
  
"This plan is why you needed me to keep Imani for you?" she's curious.  
  
"Yes," he admits. "It's time I did something about the Centre, once and for all. Lyle got too close to Imani. I can't let that happen again. I could always just take her and disappear, but I can't be away from you anymore." He pulls her tightens his hold on her and she lays her head on his chest.  
  
"I want to help," she says quietly.  
  
"Are you sure? Members of your family might not like what I have planned very much when it's all over," he warns.  
  
"I'm positive," she assures him. "Ever since that day at the ice cream shop last year when I thought I'd lost you and Imani, I knew that the day would come when I would have to do something to stop them. I think this is the sign I was waiting for."  
  
"That's just what I was hoping you'd say," he says, a smile suddenly spreading across his face. He hops up off the sofa and pulls her onto her feet. "Go get dressed and packed. We have to get going."  
  
"Going? Where?" she wants to know.  
  
"We're going to go get married . . ." he says with a cryptic little smile, amazed that he finally found a way to render her speechless.  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"Married? Jarod are you crazy? We can't get married! Do you know what my father or Lyle would do . . . "  
  
"I warned you they wouldn't like this plan very much," Jarod smirks.  
  
"Plan? This is just part of the plan?" she asks, somewhat disappointed. As crazy as the idea of marrying Jarod sounded, her heart was ready to convince her to rush to the nearest justice of the peace with him.  
  
"You sound disappointed," he realizes.  
  
"Never mind about that," she says quickly, trying to hide her conflicting emotions. "Just tell me about this plan. And maybe, I'll consider if I want to take any part in it." She sits on the sofa and he sits next to her.  
  
"I can't run from the Centre the rest of my life. I can't run from you anymore, either," he sighs. "But I can't just take Imani and disappear. It wouldn't be fair to her. I need to do something about the Centre that'll allow Imani and I to lead a normal life. I've been digging pretty deep into the records, trying to come up with some area of vulnerability. But the more digging I did, the less anything made any sense."  
  
"What do you mean by things not making any sense?"  
  
"Just little things," he tries to explain. "I'm not really sure what to make of it all. For example, I don't understand why Raines and your father are so intent on getting me back to the Centre. The other pretenders they have are far more productive than I ever was. From what I can see, it's costing them more to try to find me than if they'd just invest in the other pretenders. It just doesn't add up."  
  
"That is odd," she admits. "But maybe it's a matter of pride. Or what they think you know that could incriminate them somehow. Okay, so that's one mystery we'll have to solve. But how does our getting married help anything?"  
  
"Something else strange that I've seen in my research," he starts. "I've found a few DSA's that were sent to be destroyed. Most of the tracks were unreadable, but I found a few sections that I could watch. Not enough to really understand what's going on. But a couple of places mentioned us."  
  
"You and me?"  
  
"Yeah. And about the power we'd have together," he finishes. "One of the DSA's mentioned this contract or something, sort of committing us to an arranged marriage or something. I'm sorry I'm being so vague, but I'm getting most of this information in bits and pieces. It's like a puzzle, almost. Actually, it's like a couple of different puzzles, and all of the pieces are in one big box. I'm having to sort things out and piece them together."  
  
"What do you think it all means?" she wonders.  
  
"I don't know. None of it really makes any sense, but in a way, it does. For some reason, someone at the Centre needs us to be there together. Why is it you think they've kept you trapped at that place all these years? Why is it they want me back so badly when they have several Pretenders just as good or better than I ever was? There's something about the two of us and this arranged marriage contract that's out there. We need to find out who arranged for it and that'll tell us who's going to benefit from it. Then we'll be able to find out what they plan to accomplish."  
  
"That could take forever. Secrets are a pretty hard thing to dig up at the Centre," she tells him knowingly. "We've been trying to find out things for years. What makes you think we'll be able to find these answers?"  
  
"To be perfectly honest with you, I don't think we'll find out those answers. My guess is that your father is involved in a big way. I have no idea who the other party could be or why they'd have the power to bargain with my life. I don't think we'll get any answers from your father. So I figure we could beat them to the punch. Get married on our own and go to the triumvirate ourselves. That may be the only way we find out what we need to know. For some reason, they didn't tell us about this marriage. And I don't think anyone else knows about it. It's probably supposed to be a secret. The element of surprise must be crucial to this succeeding."  
  
She thinks it over. And finds that a lot of Jarod's theory is making more and more sense. Why else would her father had been so against any of her relationships she had when she was in college? And why else would her father go so far as to have Thomas killed, just when things were getting really serious?   
  
"You idea has merit, Jarod. I must admit it," she says. "But, what about Imani? What does she think about all of this? You being married to someone other than her mother"  
  
"She loves you," he smiles, pleased that she's considering Imani's well being. "I'm not sure if she really understands everything, though. She just thinks you want to be her new mom. And she's happy about that. She even put in an order for her Christmas gift this year."  
  
"What?" she asks with a bit of trepidation.  
  
"A baby sister," he reveals with a big laugh that Miss Parker joins in on. They laugh so hard until they're breathless and fall into each other's arms for support. He holds her close, enjoying the feel of her warm breath on his neck. They pull apart just far enough to be joined again in a short kiss.  
  
"Before I tell you my answer," she starts, pulling out of his embrace to face him. "I want you to do me a favor."  
  
"Anything," he promises.  
  
"Can you ask me?"  
  
"Huh?" He's confused. "I don't get it."  
  
"Ask me. To marry you. You know, propose. This is my first marriage proposal. You better make it good," she teases.  
  
"Oh, you mean the down on one knee with a ring thing?" he smiles. "Okay, I think I can do that."  
  
He gets down on his knee and grabs her hand with his own, afraid that his sweaty palms would give away his unexpected nervousness.  
  
"I don't have a ring, but I'll do my best," he starts. But when he looks up at her and stares into her eyes, all nervousness or fear melt away. The laughing and joking stop, because suddenly this wasn't funny to him anymore. His heart almost stops beating and his breath catches in his throat as he feels a wave of love sweep over him. Down on one knee, holding her hand, staring at her eyes, he opens his mouth to say the only thing echoing in his mind at that very moment.   
  
"I love you," escapes his lips. He sounds about as surprised as she looks. But he feels it. He feels what he's always known deep down in his heart, but would never admit it. He knew that he loved her that first time he met her, but nothing like this. This was a feeling of everything finally falling into place. He felt as if he were waiting his whole life for this very moment when he'd be able to look this woman in the eyes and tell her how he feels.  
  
"I love you," he repeats, sounding suddenly confident and sure of his feelings. Sounding as if suddenly, everything made sense. "I've loved you all my life. Even when I didn't know you, I loved you, if that's even possible. I knew that the day would come that I would meet you. And when that day came, I gave you my heart. You've had it ever since. Because I didn't need it anymore. You became my heart.   
  
"All these years, I've felt an aching in my chest and wondered what was missing. Imani is my everything, but I realized at this moment that my heart was missing. You were missing. I need my heart. I need you, Victoria Parker. Be my wife. Not just for today or tomorrow. But forever. For the rest of our lives. I want to live with you and love you. I want you to be my everything. My friend. My lover. My soul mate. The mother of my children."  
  
"Well, when you put it like that, how can a girl refuse," she laughs, trying to make light of the situation. But despite her efforts, she can't contain her tears. Looking into his soulful eyes, she sees that they full of so much love that it's almost overwhelming. She kneels down with him and throws her arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder. "I will marry you."  
  
"You will?" He lifts her head and wipes away her tears, the joy in his eyes impossible to hide.  
  
"Yes. I will. I'll be your wife. Your friend. You lover. And the best mother to Imani that I can be. And to any other children you give me," she says with a smile. "Because I love you. I always have and I know now that I always will."  
  
"Are you sure? This is for keeps. Not just for my plan. I don't intend on ever letting you go, Parker."  
  
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I've missed out on so much not listening to my heart. But my heart is telling me this is right. And for once, I'm listening."  
  
They fall into another kiss, deep and passionate. And full of promise for the future.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Okay. We're married. So now what?" Miss Parker asks Jarod as they enter her house later that evening.   
  
"The honeymoon," he says jokingly, raising his eyebrows suggestively. "You get to have your way with me, Dear Wife." He leans over and gives her a quick kiss before taking a sleeping Imani up to bed. The process takes a few minutes and by the time he gets back downstairs, he sees that Miss Parker is settled quite comfortably on the couch, stretched out almost the whole length of it. He goes to join her, sitting at the end where her feet are and props them up on his lap.   
  
"Honeymoon? That's later tonight," she promises with a seductive smile. "But I meant what do we do now about the Centre. And your plan."  
  
"As for right now, nothing happens. We still need to do a little more research and try to figure out a few more pieces of the puzzle. I don't want to go to the triumvirate completely blind. It'll be too dangerous. I need to have an idea of all the risks so that I can know how to protect you."  
  
"I can take care of myself, Jarod," she reminds him.  
  
"I know. But you're my wife now," he admits. "I feel responsible for you."  
  
"That's really sweet," she says, obviously touched by the sentiment. "But our first concern needs to be Imani and taking care of her. Making sure she's safe. Which reminds me, how am I going to explain her being with me? Somebody's bound to notice that I have a child now. What do I tell them?"  
  
"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it," he assures her. "I'll have to set up a cover story for you. Monday, call in and tell them that a friend from school died and that you'll be gone for a few days. When you get back, tell them that Imani is your friend's daughter. She didn't have any other family and you couldn't bear to leave the child motherless, knowing what it feels like to grow up without a mother."  
  
"And they'll buy that?" she asks incredulously.  
  
"Probably not initially. They'll check it out for themselves and find that what you're telling them is true. I'll make sure they stumble upon it. It's better not to tell them much of anything and have them go searching. They'll believe what they find themselves. They just won't know that it's all part of our plan."  
  
"A few days, huh?" she purrs, rubbing her foot up his chest seductively. "They think I'm going to be gone a few days." She pulls herself to a sitting position and starts to slide towards him. "That means we have a few days to . . . get to know each other." She climbs in his lap and starts to plant tiny kisses on his neck.  
  
"Yeah," he agrees breathlessly. "I think that's exactly what it means," he mumbles between the kisses he's returning.  
  
"Well then. What are you waiting for, you big stud?" She moves the kisses to his mouth. "Take me to bed . . . or lose me forever."  
  
"What?" he asks, suddenly very confused. His confusion only eliciting a deep, throaty laugh from her.  
  
"Don't tell me you've never seen Top Gun. Tom Cruise? Navy Pilot?" She laughs even harder when she sees him shake his head no. "Well that's a movie we'll have to catch another time. Because right now, we've got other things to do."   
  
She captures his lips again in a deep, searing kiss that literally takes his breath away, letting him up for air only when she turns her attentions back to his neck. The kisses lead down to his chest and precede her fingers as they unfasten each button on his shirt in a teasingly slow fashion.  
  
His hands work their way up to her shirt and he tries to undo her buttons, with much less success than she was having.  
  
"Why don't I help you with that," she whispers, sliding off his lap and standing in front of him. She deliberately undoes each button, maintaining eye contact with him the whole time. Finally, all the buttons are undone, but he sees that she's out of his reach now. She takes the shirt off and drops it on the floor beside her, while slowly making her way up the stairs. By the time he realizes what she's doing, she's halfway up the stairs and halfway undressed, a trail of her clothes between them.  
  
He does the same, following her up the stairs and into the bedroom. He closes the door and turns to his expectant bride, taking her up in his arms and carrying her to the bed. He plants kisses of his own all over her body, trying desperately to discover every inch of her. He wraps his arms around her, wanting so badly to hold her so close that it's almost as if they were one person. His hands travel her body up and down until he's touched every possible section of skin, getting to know her body like his own.  
  
"I love you," he whispers softly into her ear as they finally join and become one. Mind, body, and soul.  
  
To be continued in Keys From the Past 


	3. Keys From the Past

Title: Keys From the Past  
Author: Nicky (NickyM96@yahoo.com)  
Rating: PG  
Category/Keywords: JMPR  
Summary: Voices from the past speak in a way to open the doors to Jarod and Miss Parker's future while at the same time bringing up more questions from their past.  
Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.  
  
Book III: Keys From the Past  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Jarod sits, diligently typing away at the computer when Miss Parker and Imani get home. He doesn't even hear them come in. The only thing alerting him to their presence is a little pair of hands suddenly covering his eyes.  
  
"Guess who," a little voice whispers into his ear. "It's me!" Imani giggles before he can even answer, not quite understanding the meaning of the guess who game.  
  
"Hey Imani," Jarod says. "Why don't you give Daddy a big hug. I haven't seen you in so long."  
  
The little girl wraps her arms around his neck and squeezes tightly. She missed Jarod so much when he was away. Almost as much as Miss Parker did.  
  
"When did you get home," Miss Parker asks, anxiously awaiting her turn to be in Jarod's arms.  
  
"Just a little while ago," he tells her, finally freeing himself from Imani's hold. He stands up and crosses the room in three long strides, gathering up his waiting wife into his arms and giving her a kiss. "I missed you," he whispers.  
  
"You better had," Miss Parker says with a smile. "Did you find anything out from the storage place?"  
  
Jarod nods his head. But he also makes another motion with his head as if to say that they could discuss it later when Imani wasn't there.  
  
"Hey Baby Girl," Miss Parker says to the Imani, understanding what Jarod was trying to say about getting her out of the room. "It's nap time. You had an extra long ballet practice today."  
  
"But I'm not sleepy," the little girl says with a yawn, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Okay, Miss I'm not sleepy. Why don't you go and rest your eyes, then. They look pretty tired," Miss Parker suggests.  
  
"Okay," Imani agrees, letting another yawn slip out. "I'll go rest them for just a minute. Are you coming, Mommy?"  
  
"You go ahead, Baby Girl. I'm going to stay here and talk to Daddy for a few minutes," Miss Parker tells her. She smiles at the little girl as she walks sleepily up the stairs, all the time denying that she's tired.  
  
"What are you grinning at?" Jarod is curious.  
  
"Nothing," Miss Parker says, still smiling. "It's just that I never get tired of hearing her call me 'Mommy'. She makes me feel so special. And I know that she really loves me."  
  
"She does love you. She's adored you ever since that day she met you. And she's called you 'Mommy' ever since you adopted her six months ago after we got married," he reminds her.  
  
"You think I'm being silly and sentimental, don't you?" she asks with a little pout.   
  
"No, I think you're being sweet." He wraps his arms around her again and kisses the tip of her nose. "It's good that you love Imani. And I know you're going to love our own children when we have them someday."  
  
"Yeah. Someday," she sighs before changing the subject. "So tell me about what you found out. And maybe you could also tell me why you were gone for so long," she punches him playfully on the chest.  
  
"It took awhile to establish my credibility with the storage company's security division," he starts. "That's why I had to be away so much the past month. Only seeing you and Imani on weekends was tough. I missed you guys so much."  
  
"We missed you, too," she kisses him. "So, this little trip had better been worth it."  
  
"Oh, it was," he assures her. "I was able to download the video files from your parents' summer cottage. I was working on unlocking the last of the files when you and Imani came in."  
  
"This is just so strange. I still can't believe it all," she says, sinking wearily down onto the sofa next to him. She never thought she'd ever be surprised again at the kinds of things that went on at the Centre. But she never imagined it all extended so deeply into her own family's history. Until that day her and Jarod stumbled upon the video storage facility where her father archived his own personal video files. Video files she never knew existed. Video files that tell the story of life outside the Centre.  
  
"You look tired," he notices with some concern. "We could always look at this stuff tomorrow."  
  
"I've been tired awhile," she admits. "But I'd rather get this over with. It's time for us to be able to get on with our lives."  
  
"Okay. If you insist," he relents. "I watched the first few hours of tape already. Not much is on them except for your parents in the really early days of their marriage. Their summer cottage was where they went every year to vacation. They'd entertain friends and throw parties and stuff. Nothing too much out of the ordinary occurred. Until this one day with this one party with this one unusual guest."  
  
He clicks a couple of buttons and keys on the computer before an image comes up on the screen. It was Catherine Parker talking to a friend. A friend with long red hair.  
  
"Jarod," Miss Parker gasps. "Is that your mother?"  
  
"Shhh! Just listen," he says, hitting a few more buttons to turn up the sound.  
  
'Ahh, come on Maggie. It'll be fun,' Catherine pleads.  
  
'Catie, I'm a married woman. You can't set me up on blind dates anymore.  
  
'This isn't a blind date," Catherine insists. "We have an extra place setting for dinner and I'd love for you to join us. Besides, Charles is away for another few weeks. And just because you're married now, doesn't mean that you just have to sit around the house all by yourself . . .'  
  
'What are the chances of you letting up on me unless I agree to this,' Margaret says with a smile, knowing how relentless her friend is.  
  
'Slim to none,' Catherine smiles. She stands up and pulls Jarod's mother by the hand and takes her up stairs. 'Come with me. You won't even have to go home to change. I'm sure I have something here that you can wear.'  
  
'Are you sure anyone's even coming? The weather is awful out there. Listen to that thunder,' Margaret says.  
  
The two women look out the window and cringe as a bolt of lightning illuminates the sky. They make their way up the stairs to get dressed. An hour later, they reappear, just as the party is about to begin.  
  
'How do we look, Sweetheart,' Catherine asks her husband who's been checking with the servants to make sure everything was in order.  
  
'Fabulous, Darling,' he compliments, kissing her lightly on the cheek. 'You're looking lovely as well, Margaret. I'm sure your dinner companion will be surprised at his brilliant and beautiful date.'  
  
'Date? Catie Parker! You said this wasn't a date. You know that I'm married!'  
  
Seeing that he started something, Mr. Parker excuses himself to go check on something else. He didn't have time for the dramatic outbursts of his wife's friends.  
  
'It really isn't like that, Maggie. At least, that wasn't my understanding of it,' Catherine swears. 'My husband has a business associate coming to dinner. And he thought it would be nice if someone could keep him company. That's all. It's just for a couple of hours.'  
  
'I'm married, Catie'  
  
'I know.  
  
'And I'm happy. I love Charles with my whole heart.  
  
'I know that too, Mags. But please do this for me,' Catherine begs.  
  
'Just this once. And that's all,' Margaret agrees. 'Just for a few hours. But if I get uncomfortable, I'm leaving.'  
  
'I understand,' Catherine says with a huge smile before hugging Margaret. 'Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me. I owe you one,' she promises. Just then, the doorbell rings as the guest arrives. 'We should get over there. I think your date is here.  
  
Jarod hits a button and the screen goes blank.  
  
"What happened?" Miss Parker asks, stunned at the abrupt ending of the video.  
  
"That's it. The video goes dead after that. I can only assume the power went out because of the storm my mother mentioned," Jarod hypothesizes.  
  
"What about the next tape? What happens at the party?"  
  
"I don't know," Jarod admits. "The records at the storage place say that this tape was partially ruined due to a power surge during a storm. In fact, the video system at the cottage was pretty much destroyed and stayed that way for a few years from the looks of things. The next tape starts a couple of years later."  
  
"Okay, then let's watch that," she says with a yawn.  
  
"How about later. One more yawn from you and I'll start to take it personally," he kids.   
  
"I'm sorry," she apologizes. "I'm tired. I think I should have been the one to go take a nap. Not Imani," she laughs.  
  
"Here," he offers, placing a pillow on his lap. "Lay down and rest for a little while. I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"You promise?" she asks sleepily, her eyes already closing as her head hits the pillow.  
  
"I promise," he whispers, gently tucking the hair behind her ears. "I'm never going anywhere again," he promises silently.  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
'Do you really think this was a good idea, Stephen? You know, after what happened the last time,' Catherine Parker says to her husband.  
  
'That was so long ago, Darling. Besides, she agreed to come, didn't she?'  
  
'I guess,' Catherine sighs. 'Oh, there she is now. Honey, go get the baby, please. And I'll go welcome our guests.'  
  
Mr. Parker turns and goes upstairs. Catherine watches him until he's out of sight before she opens the door and runs to the car that just pulled up. She sees her friend walking towards her, holding onto the hand of a small child.  
  
'Maggie! It's been too long,' Catherine says, grabbing her friend into a warm hug. 'How have you been?'  
  
'I survived, Catie. It was hard, but I survived. My husband was wonderful through the whole thing.' A tear struggles and breaks free despite Margaret's attempts to hold it back. She quickly wipes it away. 'Let's not talk about that. Alright?'  
  
'Sure. Whatever you want,' Catherine says quickly. 'So, who's this little handsome fellow?'  
  
'This is my little man, Jarod,' Margaret beams. 'Jarod, say hello to Mommy's best friend in the whole world, Mrs. Parker.'  
  
'Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Parker,' the little boy enunciates perfectly.  
  
'What a polite little gentleman you are, Jarod,' Catherine remarks. 'How old is he, Maggie? He seems so mature for his age. I can't believe he's talking already.'  
  
'He turned two about a month and a half ago. But he's been talking for almost a year now. He seems to be able to pick up on things so quickly,' Margaret says, beaming a little with pride.  
  
'Margaret. It's good to see you again,' Mr. Parker calls from the porch. He's holding a baby in his arms.  
  
'Catie, is that your baby? She's so big. It seems like just yesterday you called me to tell me you had her.' Margaret scoops Jarod up into her arms and they all walk quickly across the yard towards the door. When they get inside, she sets Jarod down and holds our her arms to get the baby from her father.  
  
'This is our little Angel,' he says proudly, handing the baby Miss Parker to Jarod's mother.  
  
'She's beautiful. She looks so much like you, Catie,' Margaret comments.  
  
The baby starts to struggle against Margaret a little and begins to make a fuss, reaching her arms out and whining.   
  
'Let me take her. She gets a little cranky sometimes,' Catherine explains.  
  
But the baby's not soothed by her mother's touch. Mr. Parker tries to calm her too, but is unsuccessful as well. She continued to cry and reach for someone. It took the adults a few minutes to realize that that someone was Jarod. He starts to smile at the young Miss Parker and grabs her little pudgy hands. Immediately she stops crying and smiles back at him. Catherine sets her on the floor and Jarod crawls over to sit next to her, where they remained inseparable for the rest of the day.  
  
"What's so funny?" Miss Parker asks her obviously amused husband. She watches as the giggling Jarod hits a button and the screen goes blank again.  
  
"Nothing," he says, still laughing. "It's just that you seemed to be quite taken with me when we first met. I think you had a little crush on me. Didn't you see the way you were drooling?"  
  
"I was like eight months old, Jarod. I was probably teething. All babies drool at that age. Besides, you should have been ashamed of yourself. Hitting on my mother and then seducing me, a woman more than half your age," she laughs.  
  
"I guess I just knew a good thing when I saw it." He leans over and kisses her sweetly. "Even if I was just two years old."  
  
"Do you remember any of this happening?" she's curious. "Do you remember us meeting any time besides that day at the Centre? I was just a baby, but you were a little older."  
  
"No. I don't remember any of this. And I hate to say this, but this kind of implicates your father in something deeper than we ever even imagined. He knew about me. Because my mother was a friend of your mother's. He could have had something to do with my kidnapping."  
  
"I think you're right," she agrees. "And you don't have to sugar coat anything. I've long given up on voting that man as 'Father of the year'. Something strange happened between the night of that party and this video we just saw. Your mother was obviously upset about something."  
  
"Yeah. And now we just have to figure out what it is," he adds. "Because something tells me that's the key to this whole mystery."  
  
"Well, put on the next video clip and let's find out," she says, snuggling into his arms.  
  
He clicks a button and the screen comes alive again with the sights and sounds of the past.  
  
'It's so peaceful up here,' Margaret sighs. 'Despite what happened.'  
  
The two women sit on the swing on the front screened in porch, sipping on some lemonade. The children are laying a few feet away in the playpen, not letting each other out of their grasps, even in sleep.  
  
'Mags, I'm so sorry about that,' Catherine apologizes. 'I know that sound shallow compared to the enormity of the . . .'  
  
'I don't blame you, Catie. What happened wasn't your fault. It was just one of those things. I had to deal with it the best way I knew how. Charles was so understanding. About everything. All the nightmares and other after effects. But especially about the byproduct of that night.'  
  
'So he knows . . .'  
  
'That Jarod isn't his son? Of course. As much as I loved my husband, I couldn't let him touch me after . . .,' She pauses to take a deep breath, trying to fight back the tearful memories about to surface.  
  
'You don't have to say it, Mags,' Catherine offers.  
  
'But I do. The more I say it, the more power I have over it. I couldn't let him touch me after that night. After the rape. He wondered why, but didn't push me to tell him anything. He just knew that something was wrong. But, I couldn't hide a pregnancy. Surprisingly, Jarod's birth was such a gift for us. We had tried so long for a baby. It's funny how all it took was a chance meeting with a stranger one night.'  
  
The baby starts to stir in her sleep and the women look over to their napping children. Catherine starts to go get her little girl before she woke up and started crying, but it wasn't necessary. Jarod pulls his thumb from his mouth and throws his arm around the baby. She snuggles deep into his embrace and allows herself to be lulled back to sleep.  
  
'Look at those two, I've never seen such a connection between two people. It almost makes you wonder how they ever lived without each other,' Margaret smiles.  
  
'Hopefully, they'll never have to find out,' Catherine says. 'Stay right here. I have something for you.' She goes into the house and comes back a minute later with a box in hand. She opens the box and pulls out two medallions on matching silver chains.  
  
'Something for me?' Margaret wonders.  
  
'For Jarod, actually,' Catherine corrects her while slipping the chain onto the sleeping boy's neck. 'This is to ensure their future. Because something tells me no matter where he goes, my daughter won't be far behind. Just look at it as a wedding gift from me. And a gift for any future grandchildren they give us,' Catherine smiles.  
  
'Grandchildren,' Margaret laughs. 'We're too young to think about that right now. It's strange that you have the two medallions already. You couldn't have known about this meeting and how they would react to each other.'  
  
'Heavens no,' Catherine laughs. 'I may be a lot of things, but psychic I'm not. I got them when I was pregnant. For my babies. I was supposed to have twins, but my son died at birth.'  
  
'Oh Catie, I'm sorry,' Margaret sympathizes. 'Are you sure about this? I can't accept this gift. That medallion belongs to your son.'  
  
'No, it belongs to Jarod now,' Catherine insists. 'That's what something deep inside of me is telling me right now. When I get this feeling, I can't ignore it. I set up a trust for the kids. Only able to be accessed by both of them. In the event of one of their deaths, then the surviving sibling could only get to the trust with their spouse. Don't ask me how I know this, but I know that person is going to be Jarod. So that's why I'm giving this to him. Together, with the one my daughter will have, they will make a key. And only then can they unlock my gift to them.'  
  
The screen goes black again, but neither Jarod nor Miss Parker makes a move to put on a new video clip.  
  
"Rapist," Jarod whispers, almost on the verge of tears. "My father is a rapist." He buries his head in his hands and lets out a gut wrenching yell.  
  
Miss Parker tries to grab him in her arms to hold him, but it doesn't work. He pulls from her embrace and gets up from the seat, running across the room.  
  
"Jarod, where are you going?" she calls after him.  
  
"I'm no good," he mumbles. "I'm no good for you or Imani. I have to go." He fumbles with the doorknob before he can finally open the door.  
  
"Jarod," she cries. But it's too late. He's already gone. "Don't leave. You said you wouldn't leave." She sinks to her knees and gives into to the sobs.  
  
To be continued in Sins of the Father 


	4. Sins of the Father

Title: Sins of the Father  
Author: Nicky (NickyM96@yahoo.com)  
Rating: PG  
Category/Keywords: JMPR  
Summary: Jarod and Miss Parker find the answers to their questions about the past and must make a move to protect their future. In the process, Jarod discovers he has more ties to the Centre than he ever realized.  
Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.  
  
Book IV: Sins of the Father  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Jarod quietly puts his key into the lock of the front door, being careful not to make any noise. The whole house was dark and quiet. Something he'd expect at midnight. He had a few hours to think things over, and while he still couldn't entirely wrap his mind around the turn of events, he knows that he was wrong walking out on his family.  
  
"It's late," a raspy voice says quietly from across the room.  
  
"Tori? You're still up," he states.  
  
"Yes, Jarod. I'm still up," she snaps. "And I've been here for hours now. Trying to figure out what to tell our daughter when she wakes up tomorrow and asks me where her daddy is."  
  
"Don't be angry. Please," he begs her. "I'm sorry I just left. That wasn't right. It's just that I couldn't . . . "  
  
"Talk to me? Trust me? Jarod, I'm your wife. Why couldn't you talk to me about this?"  
  
"Because you are my wife," he yells. "Because of the way I came into this world. A man raped my mother and got her pregnant. And I was the result. What does that say about the kind of person I am?"  
  
"Absolutely nothing," she says, starting to calm down and starting to understand the pain he was feeling. She walks towards him and tries to reach out to him, but he only jerks away. She doesn't give up so easily this time and doesn't let him get away. She keeps on towards him and he keeps backing away until he ends up against the wall. She reaches her hands up to hold both sides of his face and tilts his head down so that he's looking directly into her eyes.  
  
"Don't," he begs. "I could hurt you. I don't want that to happen. But it's in me. The ability to do that kind of thing. I was born with it."  
  
"That's not who you are, Jarod," she says slowly and deliberately, to make sure he heard her. "That man is a monster. He's not your father. Your father is the man who was by your mother's side everyday of her pregnancy. The man who was there when you were born and considered you a gift from God. The man who loved you no matter what circumstances brought you to him. Major Charles is your real father. Sydney is your father. Those two men have loved you your whole life. Those men made you the man that you are today. A kind and caring person. My husband. And Imani's father."  
  
She wraps her arms around his chest and holds him close to her, supporting him when the weight of his tears almost breaks him down. He sobs in her arms for a while, but soon calms down. She reaches up to kiss him, but he starts to freak out again. She can see how truly afraid he is. Afraid of himself and his feelings. But mostly afraid of hurting her.  
  
"Come with me," she orders gently. She takes his hand and leads him up the stairs and to the bedroom. "Don't be afraid to touch me because I'm not afraid of you."  
  
She takes his hands and places them on her waist, just under the bottom edge of her shirt. She gently directs his hands under the shirt and up her chest until she's able to ease the shirt over her head. She drops it on the floor with one hand as she uses the other to pull his head towards hers and places a passionate kiss on his lips. Pretty soon, he starts to act on his own, finishing the job of undressing her while she reciprocates.   
  
Naked, they lay together on the bed, their lips still joined in the kiss only separating momentarily for small gasps of air. He rolls her over until she's on her back under him. Her arms are stretched out above her head and pinned down with his hand. He suddenly gets a panicked look in his eyes and freezes for a minute before trying hastily to get off of her.  
  
She catches his eyes with her own and smiles sweetly to show him that everything is alright.  
  
"Jarod, I want this. I want you to make love to me," she says plainly so that there's no confusion in his mind. "It's okay. I trust you. You have to trust yourself. Don't be afraid that you'll hurt me. Because I know that you won't."  
  
She takes one of his hands and kiss the inside palm of it before raising her own arms over her head again, allowing him to pin them down again like they were before. She closes her eyes and sends a silent invitation for him to kiss her. Which he eagerly accepts. Slowly and gently taking his wife in his arms and fulfilling her every need and desire.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Miss Parker wakes up the sound of keys clicking on a computer across the room. She blinks away the sleepiness and tries to focus on the source of the sound.  
  
"Jarod," she mumbles, assuming he's across the room. "Why aren't you in bed, Honey?"  
  
"Because it's the middle of the day," he says, putting down the computer and walking to the bedside to greet his wife with a kiss.  
  
"Middle of the day?" she asks, suddenly sitting up in bed. "What time is it? Where's Imani?"  
  
"Don't worry about what time it is. You needed the rest," he says, kissing her again. "And Imani's fine. She got up bright and early this morning. We had breakfast. Played for awhile. We had lunch and I put her down for her nap."  
  
"I've been asleep that long?" she yawns and then smiles. "Thanks for giving me the extra time. You wore me out last night," she says with a laugh. "You look kind of tired yourself. Were you up all night?"  
  
"I couldn't help it," he admits. "The video clip we saw yesterday opened a big can of worms. And I have to find out. The man who raped my mother. I need to know. And we have to find those medallions. Because your mother said they would be the key to our future."  
  
"Where do we start? Did you find anything?" she's curious.  
  
"No. Nothing. And I've been searching all night. We might have to go into the Centre to get what we're looking for," he sighs, not really liking that alternative.  
  
"Jarod, you can't! Let me handle things in the Centre," she offers. "You can't go in there. It'll be too dangerous. What am I going to have to look for?"  
  
"Anything you can find regarding your father around the time period of the rape," he instructs. "According to the video clip, it was sometime during the summer of 1964. Maybe he has a guest list from the party stored someplace. Or maybe there's a phone conversation on file with that 'business associate' who joined them that evening. He could be the one who's my . . . mother's rapist," he says, not able to call that man his father.  
  
"What about the medallions?" she asks, quickly trying to change the subject, sensing his tension about the subject of his father.  
  
"My guess is that they're also someplace in the Centre. I'm sure you father has seen the same video we've seen. So he knows about the trust. And he knows that it'll take both of us to get to it. Once we're of age and married."  
  
"Which is why that marriage contract was drawn up," she realizes. "He must know what my mother planned to give to us. He has the medallions, I'm sure of it. Even if your mother put it away for safe keeping, he would have made a way to take it somehow. Probably when you were kidnapped. And I've never even seen the one meant for me. He probably has them both. There wouldn't have been any need for a contract if he didn't have them. That contract is still the key. We have to find it and the medallions."  
  
"What about Lyle?" Jarod asks suddenly. "He's entitled to whatever your mother left you. Not me. I can't take his inheritance, no matter how much I think he doesn't deserve it."  
  
"My brother is a mystery," she frowns. "I don't know what to think about him. I don't know what to believe. I want to hate him, but I can't. But I also can't trust him. Besides, my mother said that her gift was for the two of us. She didn't know about Lyle back then."  
  
"Mommy! You're up," a voice screams from across the room before a blurred body races towards the bed. Imani jumps on the bed and scrambles over to Miss Parker's lap.  
  
"I see you're up too, Baby Girl," Miss Parker says with a smile, hugging the little girl in her arms and giving her kisses all over her face. "Did you have a good nap?"  
  
"For a little while. But then I woke up. Daddy said I needed to stay quiet so that you could rest, so I practiced my new trick so that I could show Daddy," she tells them in one long breath, reaching over to the night stand to grab a quarter. She crawls over to Jarod and waves her arms around crazily before holding out her hand and yelling a big 'Tahdah!!!', revealing the shiny quarter in her hand.  
  
"That was . . . um . . great, Imani," Jarod says with a little chuckle, not quite sure what she had done, but he knows that she thinks she did something big. "Did Mommy teach you that trick?"  
  
"No, I learned it the other day at her job when I met Mr. Lyle. He showed it to me," she tells him innocently, not seeing the horror marring her father's face.  
  
"Mr. Lyle," he growls through clenched teeth. He stares at Miss Parker with a little confusion and a lot of anger.  
  
"Imani, why don't you go in your room and practice that trick some more and then you can put a show on for us later," Miss Parker suggests, trying to get the little girl from the room. Her attempt works and Imani's little feet patter across the floor and down the hall to her room. Miss Parker waits until she hears Imani's door closed before she dares to look up at Jarod.  
  
"You took her to that place?" he asks incredulously. "How could you? I trusted you with my daughter's life."  
  
"Jarod, I know you're mad . . ."  
  
"Mad? Oh, no. I'm not mad. Tori, I'm furious."  
  
"Let me explain . . . "  
  
"Explain what? How you had complete disregard for my daughter's safety and took her to the Centre? I didn't think I had to tell you to keep her away from that place."  
  
"Jarod . . . "  
  
"Did I make a mistake bringing her here? Did I make a mistake believing you would have her best interest at heart?" he accuses.  
  
"Stop right there, Jarod. You know I love Imani. How could you say such a thing? You can't come in here and accuse me of not caring about her. Because I do. And you can't come in here and ask me to be her mother and then take that right from me when you don't agree with how I handle a situation."  
  
"You're right," he admits. "I'm angry and I shouldn't have said those things."  
  
"But you did, Jarod," she says, a little tear trickling down her cheek. "And it makes me feel that you don't completely trust my actions when it comes to that little girl. It makes me feel like you don't think I'm a good enough mother to her. What does that mean for when we have our own children? If I can't be trusted with them, then something must be wrong with me. What kind of mother will I be?"  
  
"I didn't mean what I said, Tori. Don't do this. You're an amazing mother to Imani. She loves you and she knows that you love her. I couldn't ask for a better mother to her. Or to any kids we have someday."  
  
"Yeah, someday," she says in a small voice with more tears falling. "But Jarod. What if 'someday' is only about nine months away?"  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"What are you saying?" he gasps. "Are you telling me that you're . . . Are we going to . . ."  
  
"I was feeling really tired. Run down, even," she starts to explain, though not really answering the question burning in his mind at that moment. "I thought that I just needed to get more rest. Imani and I both have a hard time sleeping when you're gone. And you've been gone a lot. But while I was exhausted all day, every day, Imani seemed to have more energy than usual. I got some vitamins, thinking that would help me to keep up with her. But, I just got more and more tired as the days went on. After dinner, I'd end up asleep on the couch while she watched a movie or something until her bedtime. So, a couple of days ago, I finally decided to just make an appointment with my doctor. Imani had a visit with her pediatrician coming up, so I made an appointment for the same day. When I looked at the calendar to see when that day was, that's when I noticed how late I was. And I knew."  
  
She puts her hands on her stomach, rubs it and smiles. He can't help but do the same, placing his hands on top of hers, suddenly realizing that there was a baby growing inside of her. Their baby. He just hugs her and kisses her, a few tears of joy coming to his eyes.   
  
"Are you okay? Is everything alright with the baby?"  
  
"We're fine," she smiles, raising a hand to stroke his cheek. "Let me finish, though. I need to explain. And there's something else I have to tell you."  
  
She continues with her story.  
  
"We were only there for a minute, Jarod. I swear. I never take Imani to the Centre. I wouldn't dream of it. But, on the way to the hospital, I realized that I'd forgotten my health insurance information at work. When I added Imani to my health plan, they sent the new cards to the office. It didn't take long at all to get the insurance cards. I just had to grab them and we could be on our way. Which is what happened. We were on our way out when Lyle came by. Unfortunately, his visit coincided with my first bout with morning sickness. I barely made it to my bathroom before I got really sick. Imani kept calling for me, asking if I was alright, but I couldn't let her see me like that. Lyle surprised me, though. By the time I had gotten out of the bathroom, he had calmed her down. And she was fine. She was sitting on his lap and he was entertaining her with that stupid magic trick she was just trying to show you. For a split second, he seemed almost human. Like he really cared about her. And she wasn't afraid of him, Jarod. Trust me on this. I would have known if she was afraid. I would have felt it."  
  
"Felt it? What do you mean, Tori?"  
  
"Do you remember that one gift you sent me last year? It was after you'd found me at Sydney's cabin. And after . . ."  
  
"After you kissed me," he recalls with a smile. "That's the day I realized I couldn't live without you. I sent you all that stuff for the banana splits to remind you of the good time we were having at the ice cream parlor that day."  
  
"And you also sent that picture Imani had drawn for me," she adds. "By the time I had gotten to the office, Broots told me that Lyle had already gone through the box. But he didn't find the picture. When I found it, I held it close to my heart and I could actually feel the love she put into it. I could feel how happy she was. But I could also feel a terrible fear. And I knew then that Lyle was on his way there. I dropped everything to get there. To get to her. Because I could feel that she was afraid."  
  
He's shocked beyond words. He sits down on the bed and just listens to the rest of what she has to say.  
  
"But that day in the office was different. It wasn't like that day when he went to your house in South Carolina. To be perfectly honest with you, she seemed comfortable with Lyle. Like she could see something in him that nobody else can. Or like she knew he wasn't going to hurt her."  
  
She pauses for a minute and takes a deep breath, inwardly trying to decide whether or not to tell him this last part.  
  
"Jarod, how much do you know about Imani's abilities?" she asks cautiously, figuring that it's best that he knows the whole story.  
  
"She's not a pretender, if that's what you mean," he says quickly.  
  
"What about Sharisse? Or Miss Dee? Did they have any gifts they could have passed down to her? She just seems to have this spooky kind of insight. Like an intense sense of women's intuition. I also noticed it in Miss Dee when we first met. Miss Dee seemed to almost know me the minute I walked through the door. She seemed to know my name before I even told her. I know you had to have told her that people were looking for you. But she so trustingly opened the door to me. It's like she knew I wasn't there to harm you, even before I knew it myself."  
  
Jarod's really quiet. Thinking it all over. Wondering how he could have missed it. All the times when it seemed like Sharisse could read his mind. It was like she knew what he was thinking before he even knew. And the way that Miss Dee and Imani both formed an instant bond with Miss Parker that first day they met. But it all fit in with this theory of some special 'sense' or 'ability'. Which would make even more sense as to why the Centre chose Sharisse to be the mother of his child to begin with.  
  
"There's more," she tells him when she sees that he finally absorbing what she just told him. "I think Imani can . . . I'm not really sure about this . . . but from what she told me once . . . when I first met Imani, she told me . . . she told me that Sharisse and my mother sent me there to help you take care of her."   
  
"Imani talked to your mother? And her mother? Both of whom are deceased," he says disbelievingly.  
  
"I know it sounds crazy, but she knew things, Jarod. Things that she could only know if she had actually seen my mother. Or spoken to her. I don't know what to think. Sydney says that sometimes kids can see things that no one else can. That sometimes kids can talk to angels."  
  
"Miss Dee says that too. But I always thought it was just an old wife's tale. When Imani was just a few months old, Shari and I would peek in on her and stand where she couldn't see us. She would be in her crib just laughing and kicking and cooing like someone was tickling her or playing with her. Miss Dee would say that she was just entertaining the angels."  
  
"So do you think it's possible?" she asks him. "Do you think it's possible Imani has all these hidden gifts and talents? And if she does, then what does that mean for us? What are we going to do to protect her?"  
  
"You really do care about her," he says with a smile, realizing how wrong he was to accuse her of the complete opposite. "I'm sorry I implied otherwise."  
  
"No, Jarod. I'm really sorry about the whole thing with Lyle. I shouldn't have taken her to the Centre," she apologizes.  
  
"I overreacted. And said some awful things. I trust you with Imani. That's why I brought her here to you to begin with. I know you wouldn't put her in any danger. You're a good mother, Tori. And you're going to a good mother to this little guy, too. I trust you. You have to trust yourself, too. I'm sorry I almost destroyed that for you." He leans over and kisses her gently on the lips before pulling her into a hug.  
  
"I love you, Jarod."  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
"Jarod," she says with a small voice.  
  
"Hmm," he replies, still holding her in his arms.  
  
"Don't take this the wrong way, Honey. But I think I'm going to be sick." She pulls out of his grasp and makes a beeline for the bathroom.  
  
"Tori. Are you alright?" He knocks gently at the door when he hears the gagging noises stop.  
  
"What's wrong with Mommy?" Imani asks from behind him, startling him a bit. Her little lip was quivering and her big eyes were starting to fill with water.  
  
"It's nothing, Princess," Jarod assures her. "Mommy just has a little tummy ache."  
  
"Like the other day in her office," Imani remembers. "She was really sick and I couldn't help her. I started to cry and cry, but that nice man came and told me she would be okay."  
  
"Imani. Did that man scare you or hurt you in anyway?" Jarod asks the little girl delicately, trying not to alarm her.  
  
"No, silly," she giggles. "He's my friend. That's Mommy's brother. Grammy Catie told me so."  
  
"Grammy Catie?" Jarod is confused. But also a bit scared. Could this be what Miss Parker had been trying to tell him about earlier? "Imani, who's Grammy Catie?"  
  
"That's what the nice lady said I could call her. She said that Mommy was her little girl. She's up in heaven with my real Mommy," Imani explains. But then she sees the anger and confusion on Jarod's face and her lip starts to quiver again, afraid of what her father will do now that he knows she talks to the 'angels'.  
  
"It's alright, Princess. I'm not mad," he promises her when he sees that she's about to cry. "Daddy's just surprised, that's all. Because I can't talk to the angels like you can. Nobody can talk to the angels like you can. That means you're a special little girl. But because you're special, you can't let anyone know that you can do these things. Just me and Mommy. Do you understand?" Jarod watches the little girl nod her head, but he's not really sure she grasps what he's trying to say.  
  
"Okay, Daddy," she agrees, though still not really sure to what she's agreeing to.  
  
"That's my girl," he says, kissing her on the forehead. "Why don't you go downstairs and wait for me in the kitchen. I'll come and fix you a snack once I check on Mommy." He smiles as the little girl races off, displaying some of that endless energy she's so full of.  
  
"You feeling any better?" he asks Miss Parker as she exits the bathroom.  
  
"A little," she says. "Please tell me the whole pregnancy isn't going to be like this."  
  
"Hopefully it won't be this bad always," he says with a reassuring smile. "You haven't eaten yet today. And then I picked that fight with you. You probably just got all worked up and that's why you were so sick. Try to eat lots of small meals throughout the day. And avoid stress."  
  
"Thank you, Dr. Jarod," she teases. "Oh, and about that stress. Just tell my husband not to pick on his poor little pregnant wife anymore. And that should just about take care of the stress," she laughs.  
  
"I think that can be arranged," Jarod says as he kisses her lightly. "I promise you he'll be on his best behavior for the next . . . how far along are you?"  
  
"Almost five weeks," she smiles, rubbing her still flat stomach again. Her smile falls, though, when she realizes just how little time that leaves them. "That means we have a deadline now. We only have a few more months to figure this whole thing out before this baby's life is also in jeopardy. And we cannot let that happen, Jarod. We can't let anything happen to our children. We have to keep Imani and this baby safe." She falls into his arms and clings to him tightly, not wanting to let go.  
  
"We'll figure it out, Tori," he promises. "We'll find those medallions and go claim what your mother left for us."   
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Miss Parker chews unsatisfactorily on a baby carrot, steering the car with one hand and reaching for another carrot with the other. She was so hungry, but not sure what she wanted exactly. All she knew was that a baby carrot wasn't hitting the spot.  
  
" . . Miami on Thursday and then onto Boise from there. I should be home by the weekend," Jarod says over the car phone. "Tori. Tori, are you even listening?"  
  
"Yeah, Honey. Miami Tuesday. Boise this weekend," she says absent-mindedly, paying more attention to the road ahead of her than to her husband's itinerary. But, her mixed up answers seems to amuse Imani and she lets out a little giggle.  
  
"No, I said . . . never mind. I can tell that your mind is elsewhere," he sighs.  
  
"I'm sorry," she says when she realizes she offended him. "I was starving, Jarod. So Imani and I are making a quick trip to the store for some food. I'm craving something, but I'm not sure what."  
  
"It's too soon for cravings," he says matter of factly, slipping slightly into doctor mode. "That doesn't usually start until a little later in the pregnancy."  
  
"Whatever," she dismisses him. "This baby is hungry. And who am I to deny him or her?"  
  
"Okay, okay. You win," he says with a laugh. "Just make sure you don't eat all the Chocolate Chunky Peanut Butter Binge ice cream."  
  
"Too late," she giggles. "The little guy was craving that earlier and we ate it for breakfast this morning. I'll make sure to get you some more, though. You just have to get back soon. We miss you."  
  
"I will," he promises. "As soon as I finish setting up these false leads, I'll head home. That should keep Lyle busy for a few weeks and give us a little time to find the information we need in the Centre's mainframe while he's away. You and Imani just be careful out there this late. I love you," he says before the phone clicks off.  
  
Miss Parker looks down for a second to hit the end button on her phone. She looks back at the road just in time to swerve and barely miss a hitchhiker leaning into the road. In her rearview mirror, she sees the stranded man's stalled car.   
  
"Mommy, someone needs help," Imani chirps from the back seat. She turns around in her car seat to look out the back window.  
  
"We can't stop, Baby Girl. It's a big risk. We don't know how dangerous that man is. He might try to hurt us," she explains to the little girl.  
  
They finally arrive to the grocery store and start roaming the aisles. Miss Parker's buggy is soon full after everything in the store begins to look enticing. When there's no more room left in the cart, she decides it's probably best she just check out before she ends up with another buggy full of food. She's unloading the groceries at the checkout when Imani catches a glimpse of someone familiar.  
  
"Look who it is, Mommy," she screams, running towards the figure.  
  
"Imani, no!" Miss Parker says just as her twin bends down to greet the little girl running towards him. His face was smudged with a black substance and his hair and clothes were disheveled. He looked a bit crazed to the casual observer, but Miss Parker caught a bit of helplessness in his eyes for a quick moment.  
  
"What are you doing here, Lyle?" she asks, slightly annoyed at running into him outside of the Centre. But she also has a brief moment of maternal instinct nag at her and she feels the need to take care of him for some reason. "I'm just shocked to see you in here, that's all," she says in a nicer tone. "Are you okay?"  
  
"My car broke down a little ways back," he explains. "And my cell phone battery was dead. So, I had to walk to the nearest place to try to call and get it towed."  
  
"That's going to take hours, Lyle," she says, feeling a little sorry for him. She realizes that he was the stranded motorist she passed earlier and starts to feel kind of guilty. "I can't let you stay out here all night. Why don't you just come home with me tonight," she offers.  
  
"The tow truck should be here soon," he starts.  
  
"Not out here," she explains. "These back roads look so much alike in the daytime. That tow truck would probably get lost tonight in the dark. And then if they show up, you still live almost another hour away from here. It's already so late. You can just come home with me, and ride to work with me in the morning. Then you could get one of the cars from the Centre garage to use until your car gets fixed."  
  
"Are you sure it won't be any trouble?" he asks, feeling a bit surprised that she's being nice to him. Maybe nice is too strong a word. She's probably just taking pity on him. And doing what any person would do for another person in need.  
  
"No trouble," she says, flashing a genuine smile.  
  
"Then alright," he agrees. "Let me get all this for you." He takes out his wallet and pulls out some bills to pay the cashier for the groceries.  
  
"We'll meet you at the car," she tells him, grabbing Imani's hand to take her out the store. She gets to the car and pauses briefly, trying to push down the second and third thoughts she was having.  
  
"What have I done? I really hope this is the right thing," they both wonder silently as they get into the car and head towards the house.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Bed time, young lady," Miss Parker tells Imani the minute they walk through the door.  
  
"I'm not sleepy," she claims, but can barely keep her little eyes open.  
  
"That's what you always say, Baby Girl. But then you're asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow."  
  
"But I want to stay up and talk to Mr. Lyle," she whines.  
  
"Listen, Imani. Please don't give Mommy a hard time tonight," Miss Parker begs. "How about I let you say goodnight to Mr. Lyle. Will that be good enough?"  
  
"Okay," she relents, realizing that she better no push her luck. She runs over to where Lyle's standing and tugs at his pants leg until he bends down eye level with her. She surprises him with a kiss on the cheek before she whispers "Good night" in his ear.  
  
"Good night, kid," he says after standing back upright and trying to get his edge back. But it was too late. She's already gotten to his heart.  
  
Miss Parker and Lyle watch the little girl scurry up the stairs and into her room.  
  
"It looks like you've made a big impression on her, Lyle," Miss Parker laughs, plopping down on the sofa. "I think she likes you. What kind of spell do you have her under?"  
  
"I think it's actually the other way around, Parker," he confesses. "It's just something about her that's just so . . . . I don't know. I can't really explain it."  
  
"I know what you mean," she tells him with a smile. "I fell in love with her the first minute I saw her. I don't know if it's her bright smile. Or those gorgeous eyes. Or just the fact that she was helpless and motherless and needed me about as much as I needed her."  
  
An awkward silence ensues as the two don't really know what to talk about. For some reason, talking about work seemed out of place. It would only remind them of the rivalry between them.   
  
"Imani gets up really early," she finally says, breaking the silence. "I should go to bed. I'll show you out to the guest house."  
  
"Thanks," he whispers back, not really having any other words that seemed fitting for the moment. He wasn't used to having to deal with feelings other than bitterness and hate where his sister was concerned. But at that moment, he was feeling more for her than he'd ever felt about anything or anyone in his whole life.  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Miss Parker wakes up the next morning with a little arm draped across her face. She opens her eyes to see a still drowsy Imani yawning. Even though Lyle was out in the guesthouse, she didn't want to take any chances. Imani slept with her last night and the door to the bedroom was locked securely. She even considered putting a chair under the doorknob, but decided against it.  
  
"Good morning, Mommy," Imani says excitedly, already starting to get her first spurt of energy.  
  
"Hi Baby Girl," she says, giving Imani a kiss on the forehead. "Did you have sweet dreams?"  
  
"Yep," she smiles. But then her smile turns into a little scowl and her face scrunches up as if she's deep in thought. "Can I ask you a question, Mommy?"  
  
"Of course, Imani," Miss Parker replies, starting to worry over what's got the little girl so perplexed.  
  
"If Mr. Lyle is your brother, that makes him my uncle, right?"  
  
"How do you know about me and Lyle?" she gasps slightly, trying to keep her shock under control.  
  
"I just know," Imani says nonchalantly, climbing over Miss Parker and jumping out the bed. "I'm going to get some juice," she says before running out the door.  
  
Miss Parker sits in bed, wondering how the little girl could have figured out something like that. But, she finds that it's too early in the morning to try to think. She decides to go take a shower and get ready for work. The sooner she gets Lyle out of her house the better she'll feel.  
  
Imani runs downstairs and barrels into the kitchen, almost running into a sleepy Lyle struggling with the coffee maker.  
  
"Good morning, Uncle Lyle," she chirps at the surprised man.  
  
"Um, hi," he mumbles back, just staring at the little girl quizzically before he can finally find some words to say to her. "Did you just call me 'Uncle'?" he asks in a confused, but kind of harsh tone.  
  
"I'm sorry," she says, assuming from his tone that he was angry at her. She tries to fight back her tears, but a few manage to escape. "I thought that since you were Mommy's family, that you were my family too. But I won't call you Uncle anymore if it makes you mad." Her lip quivers as more tears storm down her face.  
  
"Don't cry," he begs, bending down until he's eye level with her. He couldn't believe he made a little girl cry. It made him feel awful. But he was more surprised that it made him feel anything at all. He thought his heart had long been hardened. But this little girl was bringing feelings that he's never known before.  
  
"Please don't cry," he pleads again, just as Miss Parker walks into the room.  
  
"Lyle, what did you do to her?" Miss Parker storms across the room and scoops up the sobbing Imani into her arms.  
  
"I'm sorry," he apologizes and sincerely means it. "She called me Uncle Lyle. It caught me off guard. I've never had anybody call me by a term of endearment. And her little voice almost sang it to me, like a sweet little love song. The thought of somebody caring about me was a bit unnerving. I was shocked and didn't know what to say, so I just kind of stared at her wondering if she had some kind of angle. Wondering if she was about to pull the rug out from under me. Then she started crying," he says quickly, trying to get his explanation out in a hurry as his sister looked like a ferocious mother lion protecting her young cub.  
  
"You weren't mad?" Imani sniffs. "You weren't mad at me because I called you that name?"  
  
"Imani, I'm not a very nice person. I've done so many bad things to so many people. And now nobody likes me very much because of all those bad things I did," he tries to explain. "Nobody is ever nice to me like you were because I don't deserve it. I wasn't mad at you. I was mad at myself because I know how bad I've been and that I don't deserve for you to care about me."  
  
"I don't think you're bad," she smiles. She manages to wiggle out of Miss Parker's arms and runs over to Lyle. She hugs his leg and looks up at him adoringly. "You just misbehave sometimes. My teacher tells us that we can be good if we work harder at behaving ourselves. That's all you need to do. Work a little harder at being a good boy."  
  
"Speaking of your teacher, I should probably be getting you to school," Miss Parker says, interrupting Imani's little lecture on the virtues of behaving oneself. She sees that Lyle was feeling uncomfortable and rescues the man from the inquisitive little girl. "I left your clothes on your bed. Go get dressed so that we can go."  
  
"Thanks," Lyle whispers after the Imani disappears upstairs.  
  
"For rescuing you from Imani? I know she can be kind of intense sometimes. She just has a way of seeing the good in people," Miss Parker explains.  
  
"I didn't think there was any good in me," he sighs.  
  
"I didn't see any good in me, either," she admits. "Not until Imani came into my life. And now, I don't know how I ever survived without her. She brightened my whole world. And I can't imagine going back to live in darkness."   
  
She sees that she's given him plenty to think about and decides to lay off for a while. The phone rings, giving her an excuse to leave him for a minute. She goes to answer it while he turns his attentions back to the task of making coffee.  
  
"Good morning, Sunshine," the deep voice on the phone greets her.  
  
"Jarod," she whispers, looking over her shoulder to make sure Lyle was out of earshot.  
  
"Why are you whispering?" he asks.  
  
"We have company. Lyle," she reveals, not even giving him a chance to ask.  
  
"He's there?" his voice raising a little, but he quickly gets a handle on the anger. The last thing he wanted to do was start a fight.  
  
"It's a long story, Jarod. But he was stranded and needed a place to stay last night. I guess it was my hormones getting the best of me. But I invited him to stay with us. He slept out in the guesthouse, though. And I had Imani in the room with me with the door locked.  
  
"How has he been? Are you guys alright?" he questions, not feeling quite at ease that the madman was in his house with his pregnant wife and daughter.  
  
"We're fine. Lyle's been the perfect guest, believe it or not. But, he's acting kind of strange. Not like himself, really. I guess that's a good thing, though. I think Imani's affecting him. But in a good way. He just seems so different whenever she's around. We haven't even fought once. I don't think this is an act. But I'm still afraid of opening up to him. Even a little bit."  
  
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe it's time to give him a chance, Tori. You shouldn't let fear stop you from listening to your feelings. You have strong instincts that never lead you wrong. I trust them. You need to trust them too."  
  
"You're right, Jarod," she sighs. "I can't believe you're saying this. You have so much reason to hate my brother. Why the sympathy now?"  
  
"Because of what you just said. You called him your 'brother'. Tori, I know you better than you know yourself sometimes. If you can see even a glimmer of something in Lyle that makes you think he's worth saving, then I know you won't forgive yourself if you don't try. This may just be your chance to reach Lyle. He's never had that from anybody. He had an awful childhood. It's no wonder he's the way that he is."  
  
"You know I love you, right?" she smiles. "Thank you. Thank you for understanding."  
  
"I love you, too. Just be careful," he warns.  
  
"I will. See you soon."  
  
"You can count on it," he vows.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Miss Parker and Lyle walk into the Centre that morning together, much to the surprise of those all around them. The two never got along. So it was shocking to say the least to see them both together with smiles on their faces. And especially shocking to their father.  
  
He watches them silently, going unnoticed by his distracted children. He waits until they're well past them before retreating into his office to make a phone call.  
  
"I need to see you down here immediately," Mr. Parker barks into the phone, before slamming it down. He sits back in his chair and waits patiently for his guest. He's rewarded a few minutes later by a light knocking at the door.  
  
"You wanted to see me, Sir?" Willie asks, poking his head into the door.  
  
"Yes, Willie. Come in please," Mr. Parker demands. "I need you to do something for me. Of great importance. And of great discretion."  
  
"Yes Sir," he agrees eagerly, aware that it's just luck he's still alive after almost killing the chairman's daughter at that airstrip.  
  
"I need to know what my daughter and son are up to," Mr. Parker says. "They seem to be quite chummy all of a sudden. Keep your eye on them and let me know what they plan. Also, do a little research. See if you can find out what brought this on."  
  
"I'll get right on it, Sir," Willie says, turning back towards the door and walking out.  
  
Mr. Parker stares behind him and wonders to himself what the man will turn up. Whatever's going on between Lyle and Miss Parker had to stop. He couldn't afford for them to team up now.  
  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Willie spends the next few days following Miss Parker and Lyle, tracking their movements around the Centre. There hadn't been any word from Jarod, so there wasn't much to see them do. They had lunch together a couple of times and that's about it. Something any normal brother and sister might do on occasion. But Lyle and Miss Parker didn't have the usual sibling relationship. So Willie could see where Mr. Parker might be concerned.   
  
He next searches the travel logs for details on their activity. Again, he realizes there's nothing out of the ordinary. A couple of trips to find Jarod that turned up empty. They've been all up and down the eastern seaboard over the past 6 months. But one stop in particular brought dread and anger to Willie's heart. He quickly logs out of the computer and runs out of the room.  
  
A few minutes later, he arrives outside of Miss Parker's office where he finds her talking with Lyle yet again. Those two were becoming inseparable, he noticed. But that only distracts him for a moment from his true intentions. He bangs on the door two quick times before just walking in, without even waiting to be invited.  
  
"Excuse you, Willie," Miss Parker growls. "I don't recall inviting you in."  
  
"You didn't," he says back to her, staring down at her fearlessly. "But we need to talk. All three of us." He looks down at Lyle with the fearlessness.  
  
"What's this about, Willie? You've got some nerve barging in here like this." Lyle stands to be face to face with the man, trying to intimidate him. He's shocked to see that Willie isn't frightened by him. The man seemed to be on a mission.  
  
"I think you're the one with the nerve," Willie hisses, stepping closer to Lyle and Miss Parker. Lyle surprises them all when he moves to place his own body as a shield between his sister and Willie.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about. But you're already on thin ice around here, Willie. First you attempt to kill my father, but hit my sister instead. And now you barge in here acting like a lunatic . . . "  
  
"I don't think running to tell Daddy is going to do you much good," Willie sneers. "He has me keeping tabs on you." Willie smiles slightly when he notices Lyle and Miss Parker's face fall at that little revelation. "I see I have your attention now."  
  
"You have our undivided attention," Miss Parker says. "What is it you want to say?"  
  
"A little trip the two of you took. To a small town in South Carolina. It turned out to be a false lead on Jarod, but you two decided it would be fun to stick around and trash a poor old woman's house," Willie accuses.  
  
It takes everything in Miss Parker not to smile. Because all of a sudden it made sense. She now understood what Willie was ranting and raving about. He was mad about that last trip to South Carolina. When she found Lyle at Miss Dee's house. She'd have to make a mental note to tell Jarod about this unexpected turn of events later. Willie still had feelings for the family who raised him. Perhaps there was hope for him after all.  
  
"Oh, that?" Lyle laughs, missing the anger flare up in Willie's eyes. "The old woman was fine. We poked around her house looking for Jarod a little while. That's all. He wasn't there. So we left. But if you must be angry with someone about it, be angry with me. Miss Parker had nothing to do with it. In fact, she had pretty much the same reaction you're having now."  
  
Both Willie and Miss Parker look at Lyle strangely, as if he'd just grown another head. Both were shocked at his continued protective streak of his sister. Miss Parker smiles at Lyle before turning her attentions to Willie.  
  
"Willie, something like that will ever happen again. Contrary to popular belief, we're not monsters," she assures him. "Whoever that woman is, she's lucky to have someone like you looking out for her. And I'm sure she'd love to hear you tell her how much she means to you," Miss Parker hints, though not letting on that she knows his true relationship with Miss Dee. But a phone call from Willie would really make the older woman's day. If only Miss Parker could convince him.  
  
"It's nothing," Willie says quietly, trying hard to keep his true feelings hidden. "I don't know that woman. I just didn't think it was right harassing an old woman like that. I'll be going now." He hurriedly leaves the office, closing the door behind him. And giving no indication he'd be contacting the woman who raised him.  
  
"Well, that was strange," Lyle chuckles. "I wonder what got into him?"  
  
"Willie's not the one we should be worried about," she sighs. "Daddy's having us followed. What do you think that means?"  
  
"I'd say that means he's not pleased about our current arrangement. He seemed happier when we were always at each other's throats," Lyle concludes.  
  
"Well, I for one am pleased with our current arrangement," she smiles, but the smile fades quickly when he doesn't share her sentiment. "But I see that I'm the only one who feels that way." She turns to get her stuff and gets ready to leave.  
  
"Parker, wait," he calls. "It's not that. I'm just not sure what's going on here. I'm not sure how to feel . . . anything."  
  
"I think you need to first decide if you WANT to feel anything. Then, you'll know what to do," she say sternly before walking to the door. "I'm tired. I'm going home early."  
  
She opens the door and waits for him to leave her office before closing it behind both of them. He turns to walk back to his office and she practically runs the other way, not seeming to be able to get her legs to carry her away from that place fast enough.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Broots and Sydney sit around Broots' computer, laughing at the latest joke making it's way through the e-mails of the employees. They had a little more time to relax because things were a lot less hectic around the Centre the past week or so. Miss Parker wasn't around until mid-morning usually and she left in the early afternoon. Mr. Lyle didn't bother them too much anymore. He dealt only with Miss Parker. And strangely enough, the two seemed to be enjoying that arrangement.  
  
"Where did you get this," Sydney laughs, finally reacting to the punch line.  
  
"Morty from the pathology lab e-mailed it to me. He has a strange sense of humor," Broots says, joining in the laughter. Neither of the men noticed the door opening behind them.  
  
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Lyle growls. "Is this why nobody's finding Jarod?"  
  
"I was just showing Sydney something funny until Miss Parker shows up," Broots stutters, almost spilling his coffee on his shirt. "We have a meeting with her this afternoon."  
  
"She must have forgotten about it because she just left for the day," Lyle informs them. "She said she was tired. Come to think of it, she didn't look too hot." He tries to sound disinterested and a little annoyed, but Sydney was surprised to notice a slightly concerned look in the man's eyes.  
  
"She wasn't feeling well this morning," Sydney explains. "Maybe she went home to rest."  
  
"Again? This has been going on for a couple of weeks now," Lyle replies with a more concern lacing his words.  
  
"She's fine," Sydney assures him, realizing that the young man was actually worried about Miss Parker.  
  
"Well, since she isn't here, I guess your little meeting with her is cancelled. Sydney, meet me in my office as soon as you and Broots finish with all of your games. I need to speak with you," Lyle snaps before storming out.  
  
"Scary," Broots finally says after the dust settles. "He's scary just like Miss Parker. Those two really are a lot alike."  
  
"Maybe more so than we ever realized," Sydney mumbles to himself. "I'll see you later, Broots. I better go see what Mr. Lyle needs."  
  
"Okay, good luck Syd," he says to the man as the door closes. "You're going to need it."  
  
Sydney knocks gently on Lyle's door a few minutes after the encounter with the man. He couldn't even imagine what Lyle could want with him.   
  
"You wanted to see me," he says, poking his head into the door.  
  
"Yes. Come in," Lyle orders. "Close the door behind you."  
  
Sydney does as he asks and goes to sit down in the chair across from his desk. Lyle scowls at him for a few long moments before he finally says anything.  
  
"What's going on with my sister?" he finally asks.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Is she really alright? You said she was sick again this morning," he comments softly. But then clears his throat and tries hard to maintain his cold glare when inside he was truly worried about Miss Parker's well being. "I just need to make sure she'll be able to keep up with us when we're tracking Jarod."  
  
Sydney stares at the young man and is startled to see the concern again on his face. In his own strange way, Lyle actually appeared to care about his sister.  
  
"She's fine. Miss Parker has a tendency to run herself down. It's actually good she's taking a break on her own before her health dictates it. Is that all you wanted? It seems like you have something else on your mind," Sydney gently prods. "You know, it's my job to listen . . . if you need to talk about anything," he offers. "Both your mother and your sister have confided in me on several occasions. And I've proven myself trustworthy."  
  
Lyle turns around and stares out the window and doesn't say anything. After a few moments, Sydney assumes that he's been dismissed. So he gets up and starts to walk out the door before Lyle's voice, barely over a whisper, stops him in his tracks.  
  
"This would be confidential?" he asks quietly.   
  
"Strictly confidential," Sydney assures. He returns to his seat and waits for Lyle to begin talking.  
  
"How do you make someone trust you?"  
  
"You can't make someone trust you, Lyle. You have to earn their trust. And if this person you're talking about is your sister, then I'm afraid you have a long road ahead of you. She doesn't trust many people. Sometimes that includes herself. But, you can start by trusting her first. And treating her with respect."  
  
"I don't trust people either," Lyle admits. "Especially myself."  
  
"You're here with me, aren't you?" Sydney points out. He smiles at the young man to reassure him, but wonders deep down what he's really up to. He would always be suspicious as far as Lyle was concerned. But he didn't say anything about it. Something was telling him Lyle was ready to change. And he wanted to do anything he could to help that process along. Even if that meant just sitting there and listening.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
She arrives home an hour later after fighting the afternoon traffic. That was one of the reasons why she always stayed at the office late in the past. She hated coming home to an empty house, but more than anything, she hated fighting the traffic. But with a family waiting on her, she happily sat in the midst of a sea of cars like every other normal working person, knowing her precious daughter would be waiting for her.  
  
"I'm home," she yells when she walks in the door, expecting to see the babysitter coming down the stairs.   
  
"Mommy!" Imani greets her, running into her open arms. "You're here."  
  
"Yes I am, Baby Girl." She kisses the little girl all over and swings her around. "I missed you so much. How was your day?"  
  
"It was great. After school, me and Daddy . . ."  
  
"Daddy?" Miss Parker interrupts. "Your Daddy's here?"  
  
"Yes he is," Jarod's deep voice says from behind her.   
  
She turns around and comes face to face with his big smile and deep, gorgeous eyes. A pair of big strong arms wrap around both her and Imani and envelope them in an arc of love.  
  
"You're home early," she sighs contently, kissing his waiting lips.  
  
"I couldn't stay away another day," he says, returning the kisses. "I missed my two girls too much. And this little guy too." He places his hand on her stomach, sending his love to the baby. He had everything he could have ever asked for in his arms at that moment. Now, all he had to do was make sure things stayed that way.  
  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"Are we there yet?" Miss Parker whines, shifting uneasily in her seat.  
  
"We're closer than we were when Imani asked me that exact same question ten minutes ago. But no. We're not there yet, Honey. Why don't you try to get some sleep," Jarod suggests, trying hard to keep his patience with his two passengers.  
  
"I'm hot, Jarod. My back hurts. My ankles are swollen. I'm hungry and I have to go to the bathroom," she complains.  
  
"We just stopped 45 minutes ago for lunch. Why didn't you use the bathroom there?"  
  
"I did go," she snaps. "And I have to go again. Would it be too much trouble to stop the car? You act like I'm doing this on purpose or something." She crosses her arms across her chest and cuts her eyes at him.   
  
"Sorry," he says calmly, trying to soothe his cranky wife. "I'll pull over at the next exit. I should probably get some gas anyway," he says, knowing good and well that they have almost a full tank.  
  
"Oh, you're just too good to me," she mumbles sarcastically, starting to get a little irritated with him.  
  
They get to the next exit and find a gas station. She goes around back to the bathroom and he starts to pump a little gas into the car that they didn't really need.  
  
"Daddy, is Mommy okay?" Imani asks, poking her head through the window.  
  
"She's fine, Princess. Just a little cranky. And I guess she thought I wasn't being very nice to her," he admits.  
  
"Did you pologize? She always makes me say I'm sorry when I'm naughty."  
  
"You mean 'apologize'? Yeah, I told her I was sorry. But she's still kind of mad at me," Jarod sighs. The gas meter slows down, signaling the tank is full. He returns the hose to the stand and then replaces the gas cap just as Miss Parker starts walking back towards the car.  
  
"Well maybe you should get her a surprise. Surprises always make me happy," Imani smiles.  
  
"That's a good idea," he admits, returning her smile.  
  
"What's a good idea?" Miss Parker asks, overhearing the end of their conversation.  
  
"Oh nothing," he says, winking at Imani. "I'm just going to go inside and pay for this gas. I'll be right back."  
  
He jogs into the store and comes back a few minutes later with his hands behind his back, smiling like the cat who just swallowed the canary.  
  
"What took you so long? We need to get moving again," she orders.  
  
"Here," he says, giving her the package he was trying to conceal. "I got this for you."  
  
She opens the bag and almost cries at his thoughtfulness. It was a pint of her favorite ice cream.  
  
"I thought you could probably use a little snack. It should cool you off a bit. And keep your mouth busy so you can't yell at me anymore," he says lightly, trying to make her laugh.  
  
"I'm sorry, Honey," she says getting some tears in her eyes. "I've been awful to you this trip."  
  
"Hey, I understand you're uncomfortable. I'll try to get us there as quickly as possible," he promises, flashing her a smile before leaning over for a quick kiss.  
  
She digs into the ice cream happily as he directs the car back to the highway. After a few quiet hours, they finally see their destination. They pull into the driveway and the person sitting on the porch rises from her seat, anxiously awaiting their arrival. Imani is the first one out the car and run towards her.  
  
"Granny!" she squeals. "I missed you so much." She jumps up into Miss Dee's waiting arms and hugs her tightly. Jarod is right behind her.  
  
"Hey, Miss Dee," he says, leaning over to kiss her cheek. He pulls Imani out of her arms so that he could give her a hug. "I hope you have plenty of room for us here. I sold the other house because it didn't seem to make much sense to keep it for occasional visits."  
  
"Of course I have room. There's always room for family, Jarod," Miss Dee smiles. "Now where's Tori?" she asks, looking around for Miss Parker.  
  
"I'm right here, Miss Dee," she says, coming from the car, trying to straighten out her messy clothes and hair. "I'm such a mess. I didn't realize how difficult it would be to travel with a child."  
  
"That doesn't matter. Come give me a hug anyway," Miss Dee says, pulling Miss Parker into her embrace before she leads them all into the house to get settled.  
  
Before they could even get everything into the house, Imani takes off for the backyard, remembering just where she had hidden all of her toys the last time she was there. The adults want to keep an eye on the little girl, so they all take their lemonade out to the back porch. Miss Parker is grateful that it's screened in and has it's own ceiling fan. The weather in South Carolina was unbearably hot that time of year.  
  
"Are you alright, Tori? You look a little flushed," Miss Dee comments.  
  
"That's actually part of the reason why we're here. We have something to tell you," Jarod smiles.  
  
"Good news, I hope," Miss Dee smiles.  
  
"Very good news," Miss Parker adds. "But first we need to ask you something. About Imani."  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"Imani is . . . special. She has the way of knowing things. And she can see things that no one else can see. Where does she get that gift from? From her mother? From you?" Miss Parker asks gently.  
  
"That's a long story, Dear. And I don't even know where to start," Miss Dee sighs. "But maybe I can start at that day when your mother came here to tell me pretty much the same thing you've come to tell me," she says, placing a hand on Miss Parker's flat stomach.  
  
"My mother? You knew my mother?" Miss Parker cries, in complete shock at this turn of events. She looks down at the hand still on her stomach and places her own on top of it.  
  
"I knew your mother all her life, Victoria," Miss Dee explains. "How far along are you?"  
  
"Almost three months. How did you know about the baby? I'm not even showing yet."  
  
"I just knew," Miss Dee smiles.  
  
"That's how Imani is. She just 'knows' things. Things that you don't see how a little girl can even understand. So I take it she gets it from you," Miss Parker guesses.  
  
"We don't really know what 'it' is. But yes. I guess she gets it from me. Both Tracee and Sharisse had 'it' as well, but it seems to be more active in Imani."  
  
"What does any of this have to do with my mother?" Miss Parker asks, her voice cracking with the threat of tears.  
  
"It was a day much like today. I was sitting out on the porch, watching the children play in the street. Tracee and Hampton Jr. were old enough to be out on their own. Sharisse always wanted to play with them, but, she was just a baby. I would sit out on the porch with her and let her watch the older kids. That day when your mother came was the first time I'd seen her in over 15 years. My mother was her nanny. A live in nanny, so I grew up in that house with your mom. I was about 10 years older than her, so she would try to tag along behind me as best as she could. But as she got older, we got closer. I was someone she could talk to. Confide in. Share her deepest secrets with.  
  
"One day her father took us for a ride. I might have been 12 and she was just a toddler. He didn't want my mother or your grandmother to know about the trip, so he took me along to watch out for her. We ended up at this huge place that looked like a castle. We never knew where he worked, so we would always make up stories about him being a mad scientist working for this secret organization. We didn't know how close to the truth we were.  
  
"When we got to the place, he left us in this room with glass all around. There was plenty for Catherine to play with, so she wasn't scared. And I never really had a reason not to trust your grandfather. He scared me sometimes, but he was always nice enough. About an hour later, two sets of doctors come in and start examining us. Poking us and prodding us. Taking a little blood and giving us a couple of shots."  
  
"Shots? What kind of shots?" Jarod wants to know.  
  
"I don't know," Miss Dee tells him. "As far as I know, they didn't even do anything. When I went to visit my cousins a little later, they were all talking about getting innoculations and shots. So I just assumed that's what they did for Catherine and I. But sometimes I think it was a lot more than that. Afterwards, he paid a lot more attention to both of us. He played these 'games' with us. He said that he just wanted to see how vivid our imagination was."  
  
"I can't believe this," Jarod whispers.  
  
"What are you thinking, Jarod?" Miss Parker asks.  
  
"It sounds like Miss Dee and your mother were the start of it all. Honey, I think your grandfather was attempting to use them as his first subjects in the Pretender project. But from what I can tell, Miss Dee ended up with a heightened sense of insight instead of the ability to pretend. That 'sense' was passed down to all the girls in the family. The same thing probably happened with your mother and you."  
  
"Jarod, are you saying that I have this same ability as Imani and Miss Dee? I don't see dead people, Honey. I don't just 'know' things," Miss Parker insists.  
  
"Neither did I at first. Or your mother for that matter. Or even Tracee or Sharisse. Not until we started having children," Miss Dee explains. She sees that Miss Parker is trying to absorb all what she's telling her and decides to tell her the rest of the story.  
  
"That day your mother came to visit me, she had you with her, Victoria. You were about Imani's age. Maybe a little older," she continues. "She came here to introduce me to her little girl. She brought you here, that day."  
  
"I don't remember you. Or ever being here," Miss Parker cries. "But then, there's a lot I don't remember about my past. So much that I never knew that I'm just now finding out. It doesn't surprise me."  
  
"Well, you were so young. And your mother didn't stay long. She came to bring me two special gifts. A couple of things she needed guarding and didn't trust anyone else to do so. Like I said before, I'd known your mother all her life. And I knew that something was bothering her. But all she would tell me is that her husband was starting something that terrified her. And she had to do something before things went too far."  
  
"Did she tell you what my father was planning?" Miss Parker asks, not sure she wants to know the answer.  
  
"Something with children. Catherine didn't go into details, but she said that she knew of a little boy who needed a home. And she begged me to take him in. Otherwise, he'd have to go back to that place. I was a little hesitant at first, since Sharisse was still just a baby. But he was a little older. I guess the two of you were the same age, Victoria. Anyway, once I saw him, I couldn't resist. I didn't know what they were going to do to him, but your mother seemed adamant that he didn't go back there. So, I agreed to take him. And that's how Billy came to live with us."  
  
"Willie was one of the first children your mother rescued," Jarod realizes. "He must be the last red file. I never would have guessed."  
  
"Jarod, I don't even know what to think anymore. Everything that I know about the past is a lie," she sighs before turning her attention back to Miss Dee.   
  
"You said my mother had two things for you that day," Miss Parker reminds her, trying to change the subject. It was just all too much to handle just then. She needed some time to think it all over.  
  
"I'll have to get it. Stay right here." The woman goes in the house and rumbles around up in the attic for a few minutes. Just when Jarod and Miss Parker started to wonder where she'd gotten off to, she reappears.  
  
"Your mother knew this day would come. And she gave this to me, making me promise that when the time was right, I'd make sure to give it to you. Something's telling me the time is right."  
  
Miss Parker extends a shaky hand towards Miss Dee and waits expectantly for the mysterious gift. The cold object falling into her hand shocks her and she realizes that she had her eyes closed the whole time. She timidly opens her eyes, almost afraid of what she'll see in her hands.  
  
"Jarod," she gasps, when she finally sees what the object. "Look. It's one of the medallions."  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"The medallion," she whispers, holding the silver object up in the air so that Jarod could see it. Her hand shakes a little at the enormity of the small object. It's amazing how such a little thing could be such a big piece of the puzzle.  
  
"Did Catherine tell you what this was for?" Jarod asks, trying to find more pieces of the puzzle.  
  
"She just told me to make sure I kept it safe. And to give it to you, Victoria, when the time was right. I don't know how I know this, but the time is right," Miss Dee explains.   
  
They all stare in amazement at the medallion, still in shock that it just fell into their laps just like that. Only a small ringing sound coming from one of Miss Parker's bags brought them from their trance.  
  
"That's my phone," Miss Parker says, carefully placing the medallion in Jarod's hand. "I'll get it."  
  
The others watch as she disappears into the house before continuing on with the conversation.  
  
"How's she really doing, Jarod?" Miss Dee asks with some concern. "This isn't really the time for her to be going through something like this. Pregnancy is hard enough without all of these extenuating circumstances."  
  
"I keep an eye on her as best I can. But sometimes that's not enough. I still worry," Jarod admits. "And I know it's got to be extra hard having to take care of Imani on her own when I'm away."  
  
"Jarod, it sounds like you two are onto something big. Why don't you let Imani stay with me for a little while. I'd love to have her," Miss Dee offers.  
  
"I might take you up on that. Because it's time we figured this thing out once and for all. I'm going to go check on Tori," Jarod says as he rises from his seat. He makes his way into the house and up the stairs to the room they'll be staying in. He sees Miss Parker standing by the bed, repacking the clothes they just unpacked a little while earlier.  
  
"That was Lyle. He was calling me to tell me they had a tip on your latest location. In Idaho," Miss Parker says, zipping up her bag after placing one final item in it. "I have to go."  
  
"One of the false leads I set up last month," Jarod realizes. "And Lyle volunteered this information on his own? It sounds like he's trying to make an effort."  
  
"I know. I just don't know what to think about him. For the longest time, I hated him. But now, I'm finding it harder and harder to do so. It's almost as if he's starting to respect me."  
  
"Maybe he is, Tori. Maybe all the two of you needed to do was open up a little to each other."  
  
"I think he's been talking to Sydney. You know, like professionally. I've seen them huddled together on a couple of occasions, but I wouldn't dare ask either one of them what was going on. So I know he's making an effort at something. I'm just so afraid of him hurting me. And Imani. She's getting attached to him."  
  
"From what you tell me, he's getting attached to her too."  
  
"And you're okay with that?" She looks at him, waiting on his answer. She puts the bag back on the bed and sits next to it, rubbing the small of her back that was starting to ache a little.  
  
"Not really. But my daughter has her own ideas when it comes to who to make friends with. I wasn't exactly thrilled when she decided to make you her best friend, Tori. But look how all that turned out," he smiles at her and steals a quick kiss. "Imani has a way of getting to people. And if she makes Lyle treat you the way you deserve to be treated, then I don't mind the occasional supervised visit with him."  
  
"Even after all he's done . . . "  
  
"People can change," he interrupts. "You changed. Did you ever imagine we'd be here together? Married with a child and one on the way?" He smiles and places his hand on her stomach. "Besides, I trust your instinct where Imani is concerned. You do what you feel is right. Because I'd hate for you to lose out on this chance with your brother. Family is important."  
  
"I love you," she whispers, pulling him into her arms and holding him close.  
  
"I know. I love you too. Be careful, okay?"  
  
"I will," she promises, planting a kiss on his lips that threatens to turn passionate before she cuts it off. "I have to go."  
  
"I'll be right behind you," he tells her. "Miss Dee said Imani could stay here for a little while. And when you're off in Idaho with Lyle, I think this will be a good time for me to do a little snooping at the Centre."  
  
"Are you sure you have to? I don't like the idea of you in that place again."  
  
"This has to be done, Tori. And now's the perfect time. From what you tell me, your father is focused on you and Lyle, wondering what you two are up to. He'll be distracted and not expecting me to show up at the Centre. I'll be in and out before anyone even knows. And hopefully I'll have the answers we're looking for."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Jarod and Miss Parker drive from Miss Dee's house to Charleston and separate there. Miss Parker takes the next flight to Chicago, where Lyle will be waiting for her at O'Hare International Airport with the Centre's jet. Jarod flies back to Blue Cove and make his plans to break into the Centre.  
  
The trip to Idaho with Lyle was uneventful. They poked around Jarod's lair, searched the city, and asked lots of questions Miss Parker knew wouldn't be answered. Because she knew that her husband wasn't there. It took a little while longer, but Lyle started to realize it too.  
  
"I think we must have missed him," she tells him, trying to get him to give up on the search. She was tired and ready to go back to the hotel. Her skirt was getting tight around the waist and she was anxious to get into something more comfortable. Fortunately, the jacket to her suit was long, or else she ran the risk of Lyle noticing her slightly expanding waistline.  
  
"I think you're right," he relents. "How about we call it a night. You look kind of tired anyway. I'm sorry I had to tear you away from your vacation."  
  
"I'm glad you called," she smiles. "This trip may have been a bust, but we can use the rest of this time away from the Centre to talk and stuff. Get to know each other. Are you up for that?" she challenges, flashing him another smile before getting into the passenger side of their rental car.  
  
They pull up to the hotel and go to their rooms. Lyle gives her a couple of minutes to change and get comfortable before tapping lightly on the door separating their rooms.  
  
"Can I come in now?" he asks shyly, more nervous about spending so much time alone with his sister. Afraid of what she may find out about him.  
  
"Only if you brought snacks," she teases while opening the door for Lyle.  
  
"I figured we could just raid the mini bar. I didn't know you'd be so hungry. You never had this much of an appetite before," he comments.  
  
"We'll hit the snack machine later. Sit down. We have a whole life time to catch up on." She takes a seat in the recliner across the room, leaving the whole couch for Lyle.  
  
"What do you want to know? I don't think either of us had childhoods we'd like to relive."  
  
"It wasn't all bad, was it?" she asks innocently, but realizes that it probably was all bad for him when she sees his face fall slightly. True he didn't have to grow up with Mr. Parker, but he also didn't have the few happy years with their mother like she did. "I'm sorry, Lyle. I guess things weren't that great for you growing up."  
  
"Tell me about her. Please," he begs. "Tell me about our mother."  
  
"I don't remember much," she admits. "But I do know that she loved me. I remember that much. I used to be able to talk to her about anything. And I did," she laughs, remembering the hours she used to babble on about all sorts of childish things. But her mother would listen to every second, cherishing every word.  
  
"When did you decide you wanted to follow in our father's footsteps and work at the Centre?"  
  
"That wasn't my decision," she says kind of sharply. "I never used to dream about working at that place, especially after Momma died. I never really had the chance to think about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I just had to grow up.   
  
"I remember there was a time when I could dream," she smiles again at the memory. "I used to pretend like I was princess. Trapped in a big castle by my father, the evil king. And my dreams would always end the same way. A handsome prince would come and rescue me. And we'd run off and live happily ever after. Jarod was always that prince.  
  
"He was my best friend. Actually, him and Angelo were the only friends I ever remember having. But it was more than that with Jarod. It wasn't just two lonely kids with no one else to turn to. There was always something else there. A charge or energy or something I would feel whenever we were in the same room together. And even now. That's how I knew he wasn't here in Idaho. I didn't feel him. Whenever we get close to catching him, I can feel it. Feel that he's there. My stomach starts to flip flop. And my palms sweat. And I can actually feel the little hairs on my arm stand straight up. My heart starts pounding and I feel as though it's going to spring right from my chest if I don't see him. And when he finally reveals himself, all is suddenly still. And there's actually a second when our eyes meet and time seems to stop. Everything else ceases to exist for that one split second. It's nothing but me and Jarod." She stares off into space for a minute, suddenly longing to be in Jarod's arms.  
  
"Sounds crazy, doesn't it?" she asks, shaking herself back to reality.  
  
"Crazy? Yes," he agrees. "But love often is. Do you love him, Parker? Are you in love with your prey?"  
  
  
Chapter 8  
  
"Do you love him, Parker? Are you in love with your prey?"  
  
'YES!' she wanted to yell. 'I'm in love with him! I've loved him my whole life.' But she can't tell him. She can't say that she's in love with the man they're chasing. She can't tell him how happily married she is to their hunted. And she can't tell him that man's about to make her a mother.  
  
"I think we've spoken enough about me. It's your turn now," she says, trying to change the subject. "I think we've established that my being at the Centre wasn't exactly my choice. But how about you? What brought you to the Centre, Lyle?"  
  
"Greed. Power. Wealth. At first I was just in it for the money," he admits. "I found out about who my parents were and decided I wanted the Centre. I figured it was my birthright. So I went to take it. But now . . . I don't know. Looking back, I can see that it was more than that. There are several places where I can have even greater wealth and power. I needed to be at the Centre because I wanted a father who would be proud of me. But Mr. Parker was never proud. No matter what I had done. Everything was all about you. Angel this and Angel that. I could never compare to you."  
  
"You were jealous of me?" she's shocked. "I can't believe this. Daddy's been playing us against each other this whole time. He spouts off all kinds of nonsense about us sticking together because we're family. But then he'll make me feel so inferior and invisible. Once his precious son was back, he didn't have any more need for me. Everything has been about you, Lyle."  
  
"So, he's been making me jealous of you and making you jealous of me," Lyle realizes. "Why? What's the point?"  
  
"Because he's a sick and twisted man who won't be satisfied until I die miserably like our mother," she yells, starting to get upset. But a small twinge in her side causes her to settle back down quickly. Tears threaten to fall, but she refuses to let her father make her cry any more.  
  
"The way I see it, we have two choices. We can either continue to play his game and keep on stabbing each other in the back to get into his good graces. Or, we can play a game of our own," Lyle says.  
  
"Or, we can just get out of the game," she whispers, still on the verge of tears. Her hand unconsciously moves to her stomach and gently rests there while she vows silently to her unborn child that the days of the Centre were numbered. "Jarod used to always ask me why I stayed there. Why I stayed and did whatever Daddy asked me. I used to do it for his approval. I wanted nothing more than to be Daddy's Angel. But then you came into the picture. And no matter what I did, it wasn't good enough for him. Because I wasn't you. I wasn't his son. Now, the only reason I stay is because with Jarod's help, I've started to see some of the things that our mother wanted from the Centre. The good that she thought it would do. All the children she thought it would help, not hurt. I want to make the Centre that place, Lyle. But I can't do it by myself."  
  
"Are you asking me to . . ."  
  
"I'm not asking you anything, Lyle. I'm just letting you know what I have planned. I can't live the life I've been living anymore. I can't let that place hurt people anymore. I can't let that place take away another person I love. If you want to help, then I'll gladly accept. But if not, I'll find someone who will. I'll go to the ends of the earth to find Jarod if I have to. Because I know he'll help."  
  
"You're going to betray the Centre?" he asks wide eyed.  
  
"They betrayed my mother. Our mother. Think about that," she says, standing to her feet and walking towards the bedroom of the suite. "I've have a long day and I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Good night."  
  
She closes the door to the bedroom behind her and leans wearily against the door. She hears another door closing out front and realizes that Lyle has gone to his own suite for the evening. She didn't intend on getting so personal with Lyle, but she can't take back all that's been said. She just has to hope that she didn't just sign her own death warrant.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Jarod slowly counts to twenty in his head, trying to time perfectly the sequence of the cameras in the hall leading to Mr. Parker's office at the Centre. By his calculations, he had exactly 20 minutes to get into the office, search it, and be out before the cameras repeated their sequence. Hacking into the security system to program the surveillance cameras on this floor had been surprisingly simple. Now, it was down to simple timing. The timing was what it all hinged on. Every single second counted.  
  
Seventeen . . . Eighteen . . . Nineteen . . . Twenty. He sprints down the hall to the door leading to Mr. Parker's office. He allowed himself 15 seconds to pick the lock, his fingers moving adeptly in the lock as if it were second nature to him. It only took 9 seconds before he heard the familiar click of the lock slipping. He was inside and had the door closed behind him with a few seconds to spare.   
  
He glanced around the room, going to the place on the blueprints Angelo outlined. He ran his fingers under the bottom side of a portrait hanging on the wall behind the chairman's desk, gently easing it away from the wall and revealing a wall safe behind it.  
  
He puts his bag on the floor and opens it, pulling out the tools necessary to crack the safe. Working quickly, his fingers nimbly put together the digital meter that would decode the combination to the safe.  
  
Ninety seconds later and the safe opens, revealing all the dirty little secrets Mr. Parker was trying to keep hidden. Jarod had to work quickly, sorting through the collection of valuables Mr. Parker was keeping safe and mentally noting exactly where they came from the prevent suspicion the next time the safe was opened. He found folders of documents, containing mostly personnel records. Not what he'd expect to find in the safe, but they obviously must be important.   
  
Jarod reaches into his bag of gadgets and pulls out his laptop computer with portable scanner attached. He quickly scans each of the documents and saves them to the hard drive to view later. The process is almost instantaneous, yet Jarod impatiently checks his watch between each document. Ten minutes had passed. His time was running out.   
  
He finishes copying all of the documents to the laptop and then returns his attentions back inside the safe. It appears to be empty, so he starts to put everything back it's place when one of the folders hits up against the back of the safe, making a hollow sound. He realizes that there's another wall. A hidden compartment in the safe that must hold something very important.  
  
He reaches his hand back there and gently pries off the wall. A tiny compartment opens, only large enough to fit his hand into. He reaches back, not sure what he'll find back there when his hand brushes up against a box. The box slides out easily and he's able to pull it out to get a better look at it. There's a lock on it that doesn't open easily, and after a few minutes of trying to jimmy the lock, the alarm on his watch beeps once as a reminder that his time is almost up. He can't get the lock open, so he makes the decision to just bring the box along. Whatever's in it must be important to be in a hidden compartment. He just had to hope that nobody noticed it missing.  
  
After quickly, but accurately replacing all of the documents he removed and copied from the safe, Jarod closes the door to the safe and then replaces the portrait in front of it. He gives a careful glance around the office to make sure nothing else was disturbed before packing the computer back in the bag. Just before leaving he places a small listening device on an inconspicuous corner of the desk. Whatever's in the files and box might be better clarified with anything the bug picks up from Mr. Parker's conversations.  
  
Nineteen and a half minutes later after entering, Jarod finds himself at the door of the office, counting slowly in his head to twenty, waiting on the next programmed sequence of the cameras to start.   
  
Sixteen . . . seventeen . . . eighteen . . .  
  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Miss Parker tosses restlessly in her bed. She always had trouble sleeping without Jarod next to her. That night wasn't an exception. Even though she was exhausted. She flips over again, stretching her legs in the process. A small knot begins to form in the muscles in one of her calves and it soon turns into a full-fledged cramp.  
  
"Ow," she moans, swinging her legs over the side of the bed to stretch them some more. That doesn't alleviate the cramp any, so she stands up and tries to walk it out. Slowly, the muscle begins to relax and she sits down to massage the sore area. Her growling stomach reminds her that she went to bed without eating anything. She pulls on a robe and slides into a pair of slippers and heads towards the door with a handful of change. The snack machine was just at the end of the hall. Maybe it had something that would ease her hunger.  
  
The sound of her door closing alarms Lyle slightly. He sits up in bed, wondering where she could be going at that hour. Sleep hadn't come to him that night. He's spent most of the time tossing and turning as well, trying to push away the troubling thoughts plaguing his mind. It was unsettling for him to feel things for his sister. But he's gotten used to it. He's gotten used to the fact that he's grown kind of attached to her. He might even go so far as to say that he loves her one day. But he was far from that. All he knew was that he felt a need to protect her, even if she didn't want protecting.   
  
But it wasn't fair that he'd have to protect her at all. She could be living a safe and secure life at the Centre. Working there alongside him and their father. But instead, she's allowed Jarod to plant little seeds of doubt in her mind. She's allowed Jarod to convince her somehow that betrayal was her only alternative. And he hated Jarod for that. Ideas like that would get her killed. And he wasn't going to let her die. He'd do whatever it took to prevent that. And the only thing that came to mind would be to find Jarod. Take him back to the Centre. And get him out of his sister's life for good.  
  
A bump down the hall gets his attention again, interrupting his thoughts on getting rid of Jarod. And in less than two seconds, he's out the bed and to the door. He listens again, just to make sure she didn't just drop something in the hall. The last thing she'd want would be to know he was keeping his eye on her. The hall is quiet. He couldn't hear a sound. Not the soft padding of feet walking back to the room. Or the closing of a door, signaling that she'd made it back safely. Immediately panic grips his heart. He throws open the door and looks both ways down the hall until he sees a sight that paralyzes him in fear. He first sees the vending machine food was strewn about the floor, having fallen from Miss Parker's hands. He then sees the reason why she dropped the food in the first place. A large man with his face covered with a mask had grabbed her and had his arm around her neck. He was trying to drag her someplace, but she was putting up a struggle and making it difficult for him. He stops pulling her and tightens his grip around her throat, cutting off her air supply.  
  
"Get your hands off my sister," Lyle hears himself yell, without really realizing that he'd said it. He lifts his hand and sees that he had the foresight enough to grab his gun before running out of the room.  
  
Miss Parker's attacker lets her go and she falls to the ground, gasping desperately for air. He takes off running down the hall, away from Lyle and towards the stairs. Lyle takes off after him, making it as far as the stairwell before realizing the guy was too far ahead of him. He slowly turns back to Miss Parker and sees that she's curled herself up in a tight little ball on the floor in the middle of all the food. Her body shakes and from where he's standing, she appears to be crying. As he gets closer, the sounds of her sobs verifies that theory.  
  
"Let's get you inside," he says softly, gently helping her from the ground. They slowly make it into her hotel room and he takes her back to the bed, pulling back the covers while he tucks her in. She's still crying, so he just sits next to her, not really sure of what to do, but also knowing that he shouldn't leave. Eventually, she calms down and sits up in the bed. He notices a small gash just above her left eyebrow.  
  
"Can you get me a glass of water?" she whispers, holding her hand up to where the cut was bleeding a little. "And a bandage for this."  
  
"Sure," he says, walking to the sink and filling a cup. He holds the cup out for her and he sees that her hands are still shaking when she reaches for it. While she's sipping the water, he gently dabs at the wound and covers it with a bandage. "You want to talk about it?"  
  
"I don't know what happened out there, Lyle," she sighs. "I just don't understand it. Where did that guy come from? Why couldn't I do anything about it? You know, there used to be a time when I could have ripped out his throat with my bare hands. But tonight I just froze. And I was terrified."  
  
"It's okay to be afraid," Lyle assures her.   
  
"But it's not okay to stand there and let that guy attack me," she cries. "I just stood there. I couldn't move. Before, I didn't really care much whether I lived or died. I lived life on the edge. Pushing back when someone pushed me. Sometimes I was the one who pushed first. But, there's so much more at stake now. I have to think about more than myself. Because another life is dependent on me now." She gently rubs her stomach, sending a silent prayer of thanks that nothing happened to her baby.  
  
"You mean Imani?"  
  
"Yeah, Imani," she says quickly realizing what she almost revealed to Lyle. He couldn't find out about the baby. Not now, at least. "I have Imani to think about now. I couldn't imagine what would happen to her if anything happened to me. I couldn't leave her motherless. I guess all of that was going on in my mind when the guy grabbed me."  
  
"You know what it's like to grow up without a mother. We both do. It makes sense you wouldn't want that for Imani."  
  
"But it was more than that. He said some awful things, Lyle. He was telling me what he was going to do to me. How he planned on . . . raping me." Her tears begin to fall again.  
  
Lyle gets a sick feeling in his stomach. Because any other day of the week, that attacker could have been him. Lyle could have been the guy preying on an unsuspecting woman. He could have been the man attacking an innocent victim, violating her in the worst way possible, and enjoying watching her struggle. He knows because that has been him. He's no better than the man he just saved his sister from. The only difference is that his victims didn't have someone to rescue them.  
  
"I should go," he mumbles, trying desperately to get away from Miss Parker. "I don't need to be here. You don't need me here."  
  
She looks and can see the torment on his face. And that instant she knows what Lyle's thinking.  
  
"How many times have you done the same thing, Lyle? How many women like me who weren't lucky enough to have their brother standing by to save them?" she asks him. Not in a scolding or disappointed way, but with sincere, almost sad curiosity.  
  
"I've never seen it the way I saw it tonight," he confesses. "They were just nameless victims to me. Not someone's daughter, sister." He looks at her and has to fight back a tear. "Or mother," he whispers. He looks one last time at her and walks out her door into the living room of the suite. He doesn't feel right staying in there with her, but he also doesn't want to leave her alone. He lays on the couch instead, and spends the rest of the night watching over her door.  
  
A minute later, he hears the shower running. And he can only imagine she's in there trying to wash that creeps hands off of her. He feels the anger rise again the more he thinks about what went on that night. And the angrier he gets, the more he needs to blame someone for it all. And the only person who comes to mind is Jarod. He was the one who lured them to that town on a false lead. He was the one planting all the ideas of betrayal in his sister's mind. He was the one telling her all kinds of lies to trick her into feeling things she shouldn't. Feelings that made her weak and helpless. And unable to defend herself. By the time he hears the shower stop, Lyle's convinced himself that all of their problems were Jarod's fault. Someone was going to pay. And that someone was going to be Jarod. Lyle closes his eyes as thoughts of sweet revenge danced in his mind and lulled him into a deep sleep.  
  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Miss Parker arrives home early that next morning, just after daybreak. The house was quiet and she tiptoes around so she won't make too much noise. She's barely two feet into the house before she hears a gentle snoring coming from the sofa. She looks over and sees that Jarod's fallen asleep in a sea of papers and files.  
  
She walks over to him and smiles at the sweet sight. She loved him so much. And she knows now that she's loved him her entire life. Even when she barely knew her own name, she loved him. When they were apart, she missed him unbearably. And when she was in trouble, she didn't realize this, but she expected him to come to her rescue. So it was most shocking to her that it would be Lyle, and not her husband, to protect her that previous night.  
  
She feels a little guilty leaving Lyle stranded at the hotel in Idaho. She just couldn't stay at that place another minute. She snuck out early that morning, leaving him on the couch of her hotel suite asleep, much like Jarod's doing now. Those two were a lot alike, she notices with a smile. But both would die first before admitting it.  
  
Jarod's eyes begin to flutter, suddenly getting the feeling that someone was watching him. He blinks a couple of times, focusing through the darkness until his eyes meet hers. His face lights up with a smile when he realizes he's not dreaming.  
  
"I didn't mean to wake you," she frowns. "Go back to sleep."  
  
"You're early," he whispers through a scratchy throat not yet ready to talk.  
  
"I couldn't stay away." She leans down to kiss him, gently running her hands up and down his chest.  
  
He sits up and grabs both sides of her face with his hands, pulling her closer to him. He eases her hair back out of her face and notices the bandage on her forehead.  
  
"What happened?" he asks, suddenly alarmed. She looks away and won't answer him. That only gets him even more worried. "Tori, what happened? Did Lyle do something to you?"  
  
"No, it wasn't Lyle," she quickly interjects. "He didn't do anything but save my life. Last night at the hotel, I got hungry. So I went to the snack machine at the end of the hall. Then all of a sudden this guy had this knife on me. I guess he must have nicked me with it." She holds her hand up to her injury and lightly touches it.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asks her, realizing she doesn't really want to talk about it. He just needed to make sure she was alright. He pulls her into his arms and holds her tight as her sobs tell him his answer.  
  
"I was so scared," she cries. "Normally, I probably would have killed him. But I was afraid of what would happen to the baby. I didn't know what that guy would do to me, so I just stood there. I couldn't move. The next thing I knew, Lyle was storming out of the room and he chased the guy away."  
  
"Shh. It's okay," he calms her when her sobs get stronger. "You're home. And you're safe. I won't let anything else happen to you."  
  
"Jarod, this isn't your fault," she murmurs.  
  
"If I hadn't sent you and Lyle to Boise . . ."  
  
"But I was the one who went, Jarod. Lyle called me, but I could have said no. I could have ordered room service or I could have raided the mini bar if I was hungry. But I just happened to go out in the hall at the same time some crazed lunatic decided he wanted to attack someone. It was nobody's fault."  
  
"But still. I should have been there for you. You were afraid. I don't ever want you to be afraid."  
  
"That's not going to happen until we take care of the Centre," she whispers, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head in his chest. They lay down on the couch and she just enjoys the feeling of him holding her. Making her feel safe and secure. And they both silently vow to that it was time to take down the Centre . . . before it was too late.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Miss Parker awakens hours later, alone and in the bed. The smell of bacon wafts through the air making her stomach growl.  
  
"Okay, Junior," she smiles, patting her stomach. "Let's go see what Daddy's cooking up."  
  
She slides into her slippers and makes her way down the stairs, suddenly feeling very pregnant and awkward. Although it wasn't entirely evident to the world that she was expecting, she certainly could tell the difference in her body. She felt kind of swollen and puffy all over. All her bras were too small and her clothes and shoes were getting tighter. It was only a matter of time before she won't be able to hide the pregnancy anymore.  
  
"Something smells great," she smiles.  
  
"All for you, my dear." He walks to the table and holds a chair out for her, kissing her lightly before she sits down. "It's time to start putting some weight on you."  
  
"I've already gained 4 pounds, Jarod. You're going to put too much weight on me if you're not careful," she laughs.  
  
"Oh, so you don't want any of this?" he teases, piling a plate high with french toast and waving it under her nose.  
  
"Give me that." She grabs the plate from him. "You're lucky I haven't eaten your hand yet. I'm that hungry."  
  
"Let me go get the syrup," he says after placing a couple of slices of bacon on the plate for her. "Or would you rather the warm apple topping?"  
  
"The apples. And some ketchup," she adds. "Don't say a word," she warns when she sees the strange look he gives her.  
  
He returns with the condiments and they begin to eat.  
  
"Your morning sickness must be better," he comments with a disgusted look on his face. "Because if that doesn't turn your stomach, then I don't think anything will."   
  
She just laughs as she continues to layer the bacon and fruit between two slices of french toast and slather it all with the ketchup.  
  
"I never really liked ketchup much before this. But now, it's like a required food group or something. Bite?" she teases with a little giggle when she sees that he's practically turned green.  
  
"No thanks. I don't want to deprive you," he says before taking a bite of his own, normal meal. "Oh, I almost forgot. I broke into your father's office last night," he mentions. "I haven't really had a chance to look at the stuff yet. I just glanced at a couple of the files."  
  
"What did you find?"  
  
"Mostly files. I scanned them and saved them to the computer. We can look at them later. They appear to be personnel records of some sort, but I don't know who they belong to. The only thing remotely identifying in them is some kind of ID number. We'll have to try and decode that to find out who's records they are. I also found this." He leans over and grabs the box from the counter and slides it across the table to her. "It was hidden behind a secret wall of the safe. Whatever's in it, you father was trying to be extra careful with it."  
  
"Do you think it's the other medallion?" she whispers, her hands starting to shake a little as she fingers the lock of the box. "You haven't opened it yet?"  
  
"I wanted to wait on you. This seems like something we needed to do together."  
  
"Open it," she says, trying to make her voice sound strong while inside she was really terrified. Her mind was spinning, wondering what could be in the box.  
  
Jarod takes it back and pries open the lock. He flips up the lid to the box and just stares inside for a few moments. He pulls out just what they were hoping for - the second medallion, still on the silver chain that it came on. He reaches across the table and places it in her hands. She too just stares in shock for a few minutes. She's so entranced with the medallion that she doesn't even notice that he's still staring in the box.  
  
"This is it," she exclaims. "We have both of the medallions now. Jarod? Are you listening to me?" She finally sees that something else in the box has his full attention. "What else is in there?"  
  
She has to gently nudge him before he finally lifts his horror stricken face to look at her.  
  
"Jarod, you're starting to scare me. What else is in the box?" She grabs his hand and feels that it's cold as ice. Something in that box has him in shock.  
  
"He was right," Jarod finally says distractedly. Almost as if he wasn't even aware of her presence. "Fenigor was right about my father killing your mother."  
  
"Jarod. Does something in that box say something about the Major? We know he didn't kill my mother. It was . . ." Her mouth falls open at the realization of what she was about to say and what it all means to Jarod.  
  
"You're right. My father, Major Charles didn't kill your mother. But as it turns out . . . the man who killed your mother . . . is also the man who raped mine," he cries.  
  
"Raines?"  
  
  
Chapter 11  
  
  
After slowly washing and drying each breakfast dish, Miss Parker begins putting them away. She was stalling for time. Not sure what to say to Jarod. Not sure what she should do. He must be misinterpreting something. Because she couldn't believe a monster like Raines could be . . . She stops that thought. She doesn't even want to entertain an idea like that. Instead, she puts the last plate in the cupboard and goes to the phone. Dialing a number she's dialed on several occasions, but never with her hands shaking so much.  
  
"This is Sydney," the deep voice answers.  
  
"I need you, Syd," she manages to say when he answers.  
  
"What is it Parker?"  
  
"I need you to come here," she starts. But then wonders how secure his line is. Calling him at the Centre had probably been a mistake. She thinks quickly to make up an excuse. "My car just died on me. Do you think you can come pick me up?"  
  
"Parker, why don't you just call a cab to . . ."  
  
"Please, Syd," she interrupts forcefully. "I need YOU to come get me," her tone turning desperate.  
  
"I'll be right there," he says, finally understanding that this was all about more than just needing a ride.   
  
"Thank you, Sydney," she sighs. "Please hurry."  
  
She hangs up the phone and peeks into the living room at Jarod. He was sitting in the middle of a pile of papers, slowly sifting through them with tears pouring down his face. The more papers he looks at, the more upset he seems to be getting. She knows she has to go to him. She just hopes she'll be of some comfort.  
  
"Can you tell me what's going on?" she asks gently. Her heart breaks at the look of torment and anguish on his face.  
  
"I don't even know where to begin."  
  
"How did you come to this conclusion about Raines? Is it possible that you're wrong?"  
  
"All these files from your father's safe. They all have some kind of identification number attached to them, instead of a name. The files were pretty much detailing the events leading up to my birth. The RSVP to the party that night. A transcript of the conversation that occurred after the . . . rape. Even paternity test results. It's all here." He spouted these facts to her but didn't feel anything. No anger. No rage. No despair. He was just numb.  
  
"Jarod . . . Jarod . . . Jarod . . ." she calls to him a couple of times before he responds. He seemed to be in some sort of daze. She realized now that she just had to keep him talking until Sydney got there. Because he might be the only one who could help. "Jarod can you hear me?"  
  
"I'm here," he says distractedly.  
  
"How did you come to this conclusion that the man in these files was Raines?"  
  
"Because of this." He opens the box from her father's safe and shows her the rest of what's in there. She reaches in and pulls out what looks like some sort of ID card or badge.  
  
"It's Raines' ID card from medical school," he tells her. "The ID number matches all the numbers referenced on these files."  
  
She goes to sit next to him and puts her arm around him. There wasn't anything for her to say. All she could do now was support him in whatever way she could. He pulls her closer to him and begins to sob into her neck.  
  
"It's okay, Baby. I'm here for you," she whispers into his ear. She strokes his back gently and lets him cry until he's exhausted.  
  
"There's more," he whimpers. "I wasn't the only one. Apparently, this was a 'project'. Your father and my fa. . . Raines," he cringes as the name passes his lips.  
  
"It's okay," she assures, holding him tighter. "Go ahead."  
  
"They went to college together. Your grandfather was a professor there. Somehow they became subjects of his own little project."  
  
"They got the injection like Miss Dee and my mother," she gasps.  
  
He nods and continues.  
  
"Since they were older than your mother and Miss Dee were when they were injected, it didn't have the same effects on them. They didn't really experience any changes. But your grandfather theorized that any children they had would be affected. He arranged for your parents to meet and marry. But, he didn't live long enough to see his grandchildren. He didn't live long enough to complete his experiment. So, your father and Raines decided to finish it.  
  
"With your father finding a wife, it would be only a matter of time before the children followed. But they also had to find someone for Raines. Your father held those little summer parties, hoping to introduce Raines to bright, intelligent women who could be a possible mother for his children. But, none of the women were ever interested in him. So, he started to attack the ones who rejected him. My mother was the first to get pregnant. But she wasn't the last."  
  
"You have another sibling out there, Jarod? A brother or sister? Who?"  
  
"I don't know. There aren't any names in these files. Just identification numbers. I recognized my ID number from when I was at the Centre. That's how I knew which records referenced me. But I don't know what this number is." He picks up one of the files to show her the number. "It could come from the Centre, too. But I can't be sure until I hack into the mainframe."  
  
"I think it does come from the Centre," she says, looking at the file. "But you wouldn't have had a number like this. It appears to be an employee identification number. It's structured similarly to mine. I think these first four numbers represent the department. Because that part of my ID number changed when I transferred from Corporate."  
  
"So, my brother or sister works at the Centre. Or has worked there in the past. That's a place to start," he comments, starting to feel a little more hope that this mystery was about to be solved.  
  
"Or maybe we know someone who could help us," she hints. Just then, the doorbell rings. "And I think that's him right now. Don't be mad, Honey, but I asked Sydney to come by. I didn't know if I'd be able to help you through this and . . ."  
  
"It's fine. I think it'll be good to have an outside opinion on the matter," he agrees kind of reluctantly. "I'll go let him in."  
  
He walks nervously to the door and takes a deep breathe before finally opening it to his former teacher.  
  
"Jarod," Sydney says with some surprise. He wasn't really expecting to see the young man at Miss Parker's. Now he understood the sense of urgency he picked up from her earlier.  
  
"Come in, Sydney," Jarod invites, moving out of the way for Sydney to enter the house. He quickly scans outside, just to make sure Sydney wasn't followed.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Sydney asks. "I wasn't aware that you and Miss Parker were in touch. I guess I should have assumed, since she's taking care of your daughter, but . . ."  
  
"We got married Sydney," he blurts out. "About nine months ago. We've been together since then."  
  
"Married?" the older man gasps. He's completely in shock and doesn't know what else to say. But he remembers why Miss Parker called him over. She needed help with something. And he looks around at Jarod and Miss Parker's faces and sees that something was going on. Something that suddenly put a knot in his stomach. "Why do I get the feeling that there's more going on here than that?"  
  
"I'm going to let you two talk," Miss Parker says, excusing herself. "I'm going to get ready for work."  
  
"You're going to go to work today?" Jarod asks, turning his attention to her. "You should probably take it easy after what happened."  
  
"I'm fine," she smiles, touched by his concern. She lightly strokes his cheek with her hand before turning to go upstairs.  
  
Sydney watches the entire scene unfold before him and gets a huge smile on his face. At first based on the looks on their faces when he first came in, he thought neither of them was happy with the current situation. But what he just saw was an exchange between two people very much in love.  
  
"You make her happy," Sydney comments. "I've never seen her look that way before. But when I came in, the two of you looked as if the world was ending. What's going on?"  
  
"The world as I know just might be coming to an end, Syd," Jarod sighs. "And I don't know what to do to stop it."  
  
  
Chapter 12  
  
"And you think Raines is your real father?" Sydney asks, totally amazed by the tale Jarod had to tell.  
  
"I'm fairly certain of it," Jarod frowns. "And I have a brother or sister out there, Syd. I have to find them. And then Tori and I will be able to take care of the Centre. Once and for all, it's time for the cruelty to stop. Too much is at stake now."  
  
"I can have Broots do some research on this number," Sydney offers.  
  
"No. We don't want to involve him. He has too much to lose. He doesn't know anything about whatever's going on and we want it to stay that way," Jarod demands.  
  
"So, what's your next move?"  
  
"I guess I'll sit tight for a day or so while I come up with a plan. Because I really don't know. In the mean time, I'll have plenty to keep me busy." Jarod smiles and walks over to a pair of headphones attached to an antenna. "I left a little listening device in Mr. Parker's office when I was there last night. Something tells me he's up to something."  
  
"Who's up to something?" Miss Parker asks curiously. She comes down the stairs fully dressed, minus the stilettos of course. Her swollen feet were rebelling from normal shoes. She wasn't about to attempt to wear the heels.  
  
"Your father. I was just telling Sydney about the bug I planted in his office," Jarod explains.  
  
"Oh, turn it up. Let's see what Daddy's thinking this morning." She places her hand on her stomach when it starts to rumble a little. "Go ahead and start it. I'm going to go get a little snack."  
  
"Snack? We ate breakfast an hour ago." Jarod shakes his head and chuckles, marveling at the incredible appetite Miss Parker has developed.  
  
"Well, I'm hungry again. So drop it," she warns playfully.  
  
She goes into the kitchen while Jarod sets up the speakers so they all could listen. A couple of minutes later, he hears the microwave buzzer go off and he knows she on the way. She emerges from the kitchen moments later with a plate of steaming food.  
  
"Buffalo wings?" Sydney asks incredulously when he sees what's on the plate. "Aren't those kind of spicy for someone with an ulcer?" Not to mention an odd choice of a mid-morning snack, he thinks to himself.  
  
"They're not the hot ones," she explains. "Besides, this really cools things down." She smiles adoringly at a bottle of ketchup as she pours its contents generously over her plate of wings. "Okay, turn it on. Let's see what kinds of evil plots my father has planned for today."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Mr. Parker sits at his desk, shuffling papers around and trying to figure out why he feels out of sorts that morning. It was as if something had been moved or displaced, but he couldn't really see what. He eventually shakes the feeling off and gets down to business. There was a lot to be done that day. The phone rings, interrupting his paper shuffling. He almost didn't answer it, but then he remembers the plan he set in motion the previous day. This was probably someone calling with the results of that plan.  
  
"What is it?" he asks gruffly.  
  
"It's me," the caller replies. "We have a problem."  
  
"What kind of problem? You had a simple job to do. Even my idiot of a son could have pulled it off. Now did you or did you not accomplish what I asked?"  
  
"I couldn't, sir. Something happened and . . ." the caller tries to explain.  
  
"But not the something I paid you for," Mr. Parker yells. "I told you where to be and when to be there. All you had to do was execute the plan. How hard could that have been? What happened to prevent you from following through?" He was very upset that things hadn't turned out how he had expected.   
  
"I got close. Real close. I had her in my hands. But then that son of yours came barrelling towards me. I had to run."  
  
"Lyle stopped you?" Mr. Parker asks, slightly taken aback.   
  
"I don't know how he knew we were out there. She wasn't screaming or making any noise. In fact, she was just standing there, looking kind of shocked. And that's when he came out and stopped me before I could do it."  
  
"So you didn't kill her like I wanted you to. And all because Lyle felt the need to protect her somehow. That's interesting." Very interesting indeed, he thinks to himself.  
  
"Should I try again?" the assassin asks. "This time, I'll make sure your daughter's alone before I try to kill her. No more Lyle to the rescue."  
  
"No. Consider your assignment cancelled," Mr. Parker says. "I'll find another way to get what I want."  
  
He hangs the phone up and taps his fingers on the desk, thinking at the unusual turn of events. Lyle saved Miss Parker from the attacker. That's a scenario he didn't figure. But it was something he had to ensure wouldn't happen again.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"It wasn't a random attacker," Miss Parker gasps, her face turning white as a ghost. "He planned it all. He was planning on having me killed. My own father."  
  
"You have to calm down," Jarod says, moving quickly to her side to console her. Her body was trembling and he knew she shouldn't be getting this upset.  
  
"I can't believe this," Sydney remarks. "How could he? Why did he? I don't understand it."  
  
"Honey, you've got to calm down," Jarod tells his inconsolable wife, noticing that she was shaking even more.  
  
She tried to calm down. She tried to get a handle on things, but she just didn't understand why she was so upset. She didn't know why she was so surprised. Based on all she's heard about her father in the past few months alone should have clued her in that he really didn't care anything about her. But to have someone kill her? That was unthinkable. Unbelievable. And she couldn't handle it. A small, aching throb forms at the base of her neck. It travels quickly down to her back, leaving behind tiny, pulsing pains that begin to spread around to her sides.  
  
"Ahhh!!" she screams, pulling away from Jarod and grabbing onto her stomach.  
  
"Tori, what is it?" Jarod asks, beginning to panic, but forcing himself to remain calm for her sake.  
  
"Something hurts," she manages to grunt as another pain strikes.  
  
"What's going on, Jarod?" Sydney asks, concerned by Miss Parker's sudden outburst. "Is it the ulcer?"  
  
"Talk to me Tori. Tell me where this pain is," he begs her, not even noticing Sydney's question. He slips into doctor mode and begins a quick assessment of her current condition.  
  
"It hurts," she whimpers.  
  
"Okay, lay down," he orders. "I'm going to check you out. Is it a sharp pain or more like a dull, stretching kind of pain?" He pokes around her stomach and also checks to make sure there was no bleeding.  
  
"It just hurts. Right here," she cries, holding onto her stomach.  
  
"Sydney, call the hospital. Explain to them that you're a doctor and you're bringing in a victim of an attack. Tell them she's approximately 11 weeks pregnant and is experiencing abdominal cramping and light spotting," he barks out quickly. "I'm getting her into the car."  
  
"Pregnant," Sydney whispers before grabbing his cell phone and meeting Jarod at the car. He places the call and tells the hospital they're minutes away.  
  
"She's pregnant," he repeats while supporting Miss Parker in the back of the speeding vehicle. "I can't believe it. You two are going to have a baby."  
  
"Let's just hope so, Syd," Jarod says, peeking quickly into the rear view mirror at his wife. "Let's just hope so."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The phone continues to just ring and ring and Miss Dee starts to get nervous. It was unusual for her not to be able to reach either Jarod or Miss Parker. If she couldn't reach them at home, then she could usual find one of them on their cell phones.  
  
"Imani, nobody's answering," she tells her granddaughter. "I guess they're not home."  
  
"Something's wrong. I have to get to Mommy," the little girl wails.  
  
"We can try again later," Miss Dee suggests. "They probably just went to the store or something."  
  
"I have to get to her, Granny. Mommy's scared. She needs me," Imani continues to cry. She climbs into Miss Dee's lap and buries her head in the woman's chest, still sobbing quietly.  
  
Miss Dee thinks about things for awhile. Imani and Miss Parker always had a special connection that even she didn't understand sometimes. And Imani was getting so worked up about something. She knew the little girl wouldn't rest until she could see for herself that Miss Parker was fine. She decided that there was only one thing to do.  
  
"Go get your things, Imani," she tells the little girl. "I'm taking you home."  
  
  
Chapter 13  
  
"You're sure she's fine, Doctor?" Jarod asks one last time. A tall woman with short blond hair and a long white coat stands across Miss Parker's bed at the hospital and gives him a reassuring look.  
  
"She's fine," the doctor promises. "The baby has a strong and steady heart beat. You heard it yourself. They're both fine. The cramping was probably the cause of several factors. A very common one is what's called round ligament pain."  
  
"What's that?" Miss Parker asks curiously.  
  
"Kind of like growing pains," Jarod explains. "As your uterus expands, so do your muscles. And you might feel a stretching or dull cramping in your sides."  
  
"Very good, Jarod," the doctor praises. "I see you know your stuff. Are you a doctor?"  
  
"Not today," he smiles. "I've been through this before with my late wife. But the pains seemed to be kind of intense. That doesn't sound like the round ligaments to me."  
  
"She's fine, but not entirely out of the woods," the doctor admits. "Her blood pressure was a little high and she was a bit dehydrated. And from the labs we ran, she appears to be lacking an adequate supply of potassium in her diet. Those factors could have also contributed to the cramping. Right now, I'm mostly concerned with her blood pressure. I want her to stay here for observation for a couple of hours to see if it goes down on it's own. Otherwise, we'll have to medicate her and she'll have to stay the night." A little beep sounds and the doctor looks down at her pager. "I'm sorry I have to go. If you need anything, just have the nurse's page me." She smiles one last time at the couple before walking out the door.  
  
"That's a relief," Miss Parker sighs. She places her hand on her stomach and gently rubs it. "I was really afraid something was wrong."  
  
"Me too," Jarod admits. "I can't let that happen. I'm NOT going to let that happen." He places his hand on top of hers and they both hold on to her stomach. The door slowly begins to open and Sydney sticks his head in.  
  
"I'm not interrupting, am I?" he asks kind of shyly, suddenly feeling like he's intruding on the private, family moment.  
  
"Come in, Sydney," she smiles.  
  
"In a minute," he smiles back. "Jarod, can I speak to you out here?"  
  
"Sure," he tells the man before turning back to his wife and stealing a quick kiss. "I'll be right back," he whispers.  
  
"I just heard from Broots," Sydney starts once they get outside the room. "A little birdie told him that Mr. Parker knows his daughter is here. By now, I'm sure a sweeper team is on the way. You should probably . . . "  
  
"I can't leave her, Syd," Jarod insists.  
  
"I'll stay with her," Sydney offers. "You get out of here."  
  
Jarod thinks long and hard about leaving when he sees a flash of something from the corner of his eye. A man in a dark suit and sunglasses getting off the elevator and turning down the other hall. He's followed by a group of others, and they try to inconspicuously search the floor. He ducks quickly behind the nurse's station before any of the men can see him.  
  
"I think I'll take you up on that offer, Sydney. Tell her I'll be back for her," he whispers before quickly moving towards the stairs. He opens the door and runs down the eight flight of stairs to the parking level without running into any more sweepers. He gets into the car and drive home, constantly searching his rear view mirror for signs he's been followed. It's not until he gets home that he lets out a deep sigh of relief.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Sydney peeks inside the hospital room at the blissful Miss Parker. He smiles at the sight, not knowing when was the last time he's seen her that happy. And he knew Jarod was the cause of that. He always suspected that only they could make each other happy. Even when they were children he could see it. Jarod's face would light up every time she would enter the room. And she seemed to leave behind that shell of a sad little girl when she came to visit him. It was like they both found a home in each other.  
  
He knocks lightly before entering the room, trying to keep an easy smile on his face as hers fell slightly when she noticed Jarod wasn't there anymore.  
  
"Where is he?" she asks, her eyes searching almost frantically for her husband. Seeing that he's not with Sydney, she realizes that something happened. "They're here, aren't they? The Centre."  
  
"Yes," Sydney replies simply. "Broots alerted me that your father sent a sweeper team here. I managed to convince Jarod to leave before they saw him. It was a close call, though. He refused to go anywhere until the sweepers showed up. They just barely missed seeing him."  
  
"So he's home safely? Did he make it out of here alright?" She starts to become a little agitated.  
  
"Calm down, Parker," Sydney advises. "This isn't good for you or the baby. Jarod's managed to escape us for years. I'm sure he's fine."  
  
"He has to be, Syd," she whispers, wiping a stray tear that managed to escape. Her emotions were all over the place these days anyway. She really didn't need a near disaster like this setting her off.  
  
"Well, well, well. Fancy meeting you here," a voice calls from across the room. They look up in time to see Lyle walking into the door. Sydney moves around to the other side of the bed to stand in front of the fetal monitor so Lyle won't see it.  
  
"What are you doing here, Lyle?" Sydney asks, although he knows the answer. Very little stayed a secret at the Centre. And if Mr. Parker knew about his daughter's whereabouts, then it was only a matter of time before Lyle knew as well.  
  
"Sydney, can you excuse us? I'd like to have a few words with my sister."  
  
"I'll be right outside," he says, getting an approving nod from Miss Parker and letting him know it was alright with her for him to go. He walks out the door, glancing behind him one last time, giving Lyle a warning glare, before finally closing the door to give them some privacy.  
  
"Imagine my surprise. Waking up and finding I'm guarding an empty hotel room. And that I no longer have a ride home," Lyle says.  
  
"I'm really sorry, Lyle," she apologizes. "I couldn't stay there another minute. I really just wanted to get home."  
  
"Without me?" he asks, confused at her actions. "I thought we were . . . you know . . . we kind of connected, I thought."  
  
"I'm sorry," she says again, her eyes beginning to water.  
  
"Oh, don't cry," he says, suddenly feeling guilty over the big scene he was making. "You're not used to me being there for you. But I want that to change. I want you to know that you can count on me. I mean that. Starting right now." He pulls a chair close to her bed and sits down next to her. I'm not leaving until the doctor says you're okay. Then, I'll take you home. Because you need rest."  
  
"That's sweet, Lyle. But not necessary," she tells him, knowing that Jarod will be home waiting for her. "Sydney's here."  
  
"No. You're my sister. And I've never been supportive of you. Let me take this chance to prove I can do this for you."  
  
She looks at him and sees a sincerity in his eyes that's never been there before. And she couldn't say no to him. He was really making an effort and she didn't want to ruin that.  
  
"Okay," she relents. "If it'll make you feel better, you can stay. Actually, I think I would enjoy that." She smiles at him and her heart flutters when he smiles a genuine smile back at her. There really was a heart lurking under all the hate. And she was finally getting a glimpse at it.  
  
  
Chapter 14  
  
  
Sydney uses the time away from the hospital room to give Jarod a call and make sure he's alright. He worries a little when the phone continues to ring with no one answering. 'They caught him' echoes through his mind as fear grips his heart. But, his fears are put to rest when Jarod finally picks up.  
  
"Jarod," he whispers loudly, trying to keep his voice low in case of sweepers lurking. "You made it. Parker was starting to worry."  
  
"Tell her I'm fine. And that she doesn't need to worry about me."  
  
"I already tried, but I don't think she'll believe it until she's in your arms," Sydney says with a laugh.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"Oh, just this. The whole situation with you and Miss Parker," Sydney chuckles. "It just sounds ridiculous based on how the two of you spent the past 4 years. In your arms was the last place I expected to find her."  
  
"There's no place I'd rather her be," Jarod smiles as sweet thoughts about the woman he loves dances around his head. "Any word from the doctor on when I can bring her home?"  
  
"Nothing yet," Sydney tells him. "Right now, Lyle's in there with her."  
  
"Lyle? He's there? It would be interesting to know how he found out she was in the hospital," Jarod wonders.  
  
"Well, I'm sure his father told him. Because he's the one who knew, according to Broots anyway."  
  
"It's a good thing I had the office bugged. I can just listen to the recording from earlier to find out what's going on at the Centre. Sydney, keep an eye on Lyle. And keep me posted on any changes."  
  
"No problem, Jarod. I've got it all under control here." He hangs up the phone and chuckles again. He still couldn't believe that the two children he raised as his own had finally figured out they couldn't live without each other. He just prayed that the Centre wouldn't do something to split them apart again.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   
  
After Jarod hangs up with Sydney, he goes back to his pile of research. There were so many leads to follow, he didn't know where to begin. He needed to listen to the tapes from Mr. Parker's conversation with Lyle because he needed to know how much about Miss Parker's life they knew about. He also was close to figuring out the identity of the other woman raped by Raines. If he could find her, maybe he'd be able to find his brother or sister.  
  
The computer search he left running beeps to let him know that it found something. Just a name and few details of the woman's life. Lillie Mae Simmons. Fifteen years old. Rape victim. Died during childbirth. It wasn't much to go on, but it was a start. He opens the file on the woman that came from Mr. Parker's office and jots these notes down on a piece of paper inside of it. He would look at it later and try to find out more about the woman. Right now it was more important to find out what Mr. Parker and Lyle talked about that morning.  
  
He rewinds the tape to the beginning and starts to listen. About two hours into the tape, he reaches the point with the conversation with the mystery attacker. The conversation that upset Miss Parker so much it sent her to the hospital. Jarod's barely able to listen without the anger boiling up. These people have taken to much from him already. And this morning they came close to taking all he had left. He's more determined now to stop them for good.  
  
Eventually Jarod got through a few more hours and then finally, Lyle's voice sounds over the recording.   
  
'You wanted to see me, Dad.'  
  
'Where have you been? Your sister's been back for hours.'  
  
'I know. She left when I was asleep. Have you spoken to her? Did she say anything to you? Is she okay?'  
  
'Why? What happened? You sound awfully concerned all of a sudden.'  
  
'Nothing,' Lyle lies, deciding to keep the attack to himself. 'But I am concerned. About the Jarod chase. I think Miss Parker is just a stumbling block for us. I'd be better off searching for him on my own. Is it possible to transfer her somewhere else?'  
  
'Another department? Back to Corporate maybe?' Mr. Parker asks.  
  
'How about another state? Or country even. She's been distracted with that little girl. It would be better for them both to be away from the Jarod chase. We'd all be better off. You know what happened to my mother when she started a family. Miss Parker may start to develop noble intentions where Jarod's concerned.' Lyle suggests.  
  
'You're right, son. Your sister has been a hindrance to finding Jarod. I always knew they were attached as children. I just thought she'd grow out of him. But not even the brainwashing seemed to help. She still has this connection that's getting in the way. So, we need to break the connection.  
  
'Just what I was thinking,' Lyle smiles. This was easier than he had expected it to be. 'Where are you going to send her? The office in Chicago? Philadelphia? Rome?'  
  
'I was thinking a little further away than that,' Mr. Parker says with an evil grin. He was about to see just where his son's loyalties lied. He had one last chance to prove himself. Otherwise, he'd face the same fate as his sister.  
  
The constant ringing of the doorbell distracts him from the tape. He stops the tape and walks towards the door. But the doorbell keeps on ringing, over and over. Only one person he knew did that. She just couldn't resist the shiny button.  
  
"Imani!" he exclaims opening the door to his impatient daughter. He scoops her up in his arms and plants little kisses all over her face. "What are you doing here? I thought you wanted to stay with your Granny for a little while."  
  
"I wanted to see Mommy," she says.  
  
"We tried calling this morning," Miss Dee explains. But the phone just rang and rang. Imani was insistent on seeing Victoria. I don't know what got into her. She kept on saying that something wrong and that she had to get here. I thought it might just be a tantrum, but the poor little thing was truly terrified about something."  
  
"Tori said before that she could feel whenever Imani's in pain or afraid of something. Maybe it works the other way, too," Jarod hypothesizes. "Why don't you go put your bag in your room, Squirt. I want to talk to Granny for a minute."  
  
"Okay, Daddy." She kisses him one last time on his cheek before he puts her down. She grabs her backpack from the floor and races to the room.  
  
"I didn't want Imani to hear this, but there were complications with the baby," Jarod says lowly to make sure Imani didn't find out. "Tori's at the hospital."  
  
"Is she okay?"  
  
"She's fine now. They both are," Jarod assures her. "She just had a stressful and traumatic few days. Her blood pressure's a little high, but if that goes down, she can come home tonight."  
  
"Daddy!" a voice yells from the top of the stairs. "Can you help me? I can't find my other red cowboy boot."  
  
"I'll be right back," he smiles, just now realizing how much he missed his little girl. "Sorry the place is a mess. We kind of rushed out of here this morning." He turns and goes up the stairs to see what Imani needed.  
  
"Imani? Where are you Princess?" He looks around the room until he spots her little legs from under the bed.  
  
"I'm looking for my boot," her muffled voice says from under the bed.  
  
"Come on out for a minute. I want to talk to you." He grabs her ankles and pulls her from under the bed.  
  
"Daddy," she giggles. "I was coming. You should stop being so impatient."  
  
"Impatient? That's a big word for a little girl. Did Mommy teach you it?" He watches as she nods her head yes. But then tears start to form in the little girls eyes at the mention of Miss Parker. "You're worried about her, aren't you? She's fine, Imani. She really is. Do you remember how we said that there was a baby in her stomach? Well, the baby wasn't feeling very good, so we went to the hospital. But now, your mom and the baby are feeling much better. The doctors just want to make sure she gets lots and lots of rest. So, they made her stay at the hospital to make sure she gets that rest."  
  
"They put her on the time out mat for a little nap?" she asks.  
  
"Something like that," he says with a laugh. "And speaking of naps, I think you should take one too, young lady."  
  
"Do I have to, Daddy?" she complains.  
  
"Yes," he insists. "You and Granny had a long trip. You need some rest, too."  
  
"Okay," she yawns and lays down on the bed. "Will you stay with me?"  
  
"For as long as you want," he whispers, placing a kiss on her cheek. But already, her eyes are closed. And a few minutes later, he hears a gentle snore that she only could have inherited from him. He gives her one more kiss before quietly tipping out of the room.  
  
"She's asleep," he tells Miss Dee when he gets back downstairs.  
  
"I knew she was tired. She wouldn't go to sleep the whole way here, though. I'm sure she just wanted to see for herself that Victoria was fine." Miss Dee walks around and starts stacking all of the files spread across the floor.  
  
"You don't have to do that, Miss Dee," Jarod playfully scolds her, holding out his hands to grab the stack of files she was trying to put away. "You're a guest. Just relax. Can I get you something?"  
  
"Stop that, Jarod," she smacks his hand. "I'm here now. I may as well help. Victoria would probably have a stroke if she came in and saw this living room torn up like this. But, you can help me if that would make you feel better."  
  
Jarod smiles at her and they continue to pick up all the folders and papers, attempting to make the living room presentable again. The sheet of paper with the name Jarod scribbled falls out of one of the folders. Miss Dee bends down to pick it up.   
  
"I know this name. Lillie Mae Simmons. Lillie Mae Simmons," she repeats, trying to jumpstart her memory. She stares at the piece of paper in her hand, wondering where she's heard that name before.  
  
"Maybe the name's similar to someone you know from back home," Jarod suggests.  
  
"No. It's not that. Oh, I remember now. About 20 years ago, my husband and I decided to do some research and find Billy's family. He was starting to ask questions."  
  
"And this woman, Lillie Mae, was who to Billy?" Jarod asks, his stomach suddenly dropping. His knees start to wobble, knowing what Miss Dee was about to say.  
  
"She was his birth mother," Miss Dee says, putting the paper back in the folder and continuing with the cleaning chore.  
  
"What did you find out about her?" Jarod questions. Maybe it was just a big coincidence. Maybe this woman in the file and Willie's birth mother just happened to have the same name. They weren't necessarily the same person. But something told Jarod that they were.  
  
"Not much. Just that she was very young when she had Billy. She may have been raped. The doctors seemed to have thought she was making that story up because she was pregnant and unmarried, but I don't think so. I don't think a woman would make up something like that. We found a statement she made to the police, but back then, they didn't do much when a black woman was raped. Especially when she was accusing a white man of doing it. The only other thing we could find about her was that she died mysteriously in childbirth. There was nothing about her or Billy documented after that point. So from birth to about age four when Catherine Parker brought him to us, it was like Billy didn't exist."  
  
And at that moment, Jarod knew. He only knew of one place that could pull something like that off. One place that could make people disappear. The Centre. The Lillie Mae Simmons in his file was the same Lillie Mae Simmons Miss Dee was talking about. And that only meant one thing.  
  
"He's my brother," Jarod gasps in shock. "Willie's my brother."  
  
  
Chapter 15  
  
"It's time to check the little mother one last time." Miss Parker's doctor enters the room, interrupting a quiet exchange between Lyle and his sister. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had company."  
  
"That's okay," Miss Parker says, looking at Lyle as his mind begins to register what the doctor just said. "Let me introduce you. Dr. Phillips, this is my brother."  
  
"Lyle," he says, holding his hand out to shake the woman's hand. "Pleased to meet you, Dr. Phillips. Little mother?" he asks confused. "Sis, are you . . . pregnant?"  
  
"Congratulate me, Little Brother," she smiles tentatively. He was shocked, she could tell by the expression on his face. And maybe a little betrayed that she didn't tell him about it.  
  
"I . . . um . . . I'm going to wait outside while you do . . . whatever . . . Congratulations," he manages to say through his cluttered thoughts. He runs out the door and jumps as it closes behind him. His legs don't stop once he's out the room. He keeps on running and running until he finds that he's somehow made it up to the roof.  
  
"What am I going to do now?" he asks himself out loud. "What am I going to do?"   
  
A tear begins to fall down his face, but he doesn't bother to wipe it away. Tears were the least he owed his sister, after what his father sent him to do. He thinks back to the conversation he just had with the man a few hours earlier.  
  
The trip back from Idaho gave him plenty of time to think. After the attack, he made the conscious decision to do something about his sister's attachment to Jarod. It was making her weak. And making her make bad decisions. Something had to be done about Jarod. It didn't take long for him to come up with a plan. Miss Parker never did what she was told to do. Even if their father ordered her to steer clear of Jarod, she wouldn't. The Centre was the only entity that garnered her utter obedience. An order would have to come from them.  
  
His plan was simple. Convince his father that for the sake of the Jarod chase, Miss Parker needed to be away from it. And the only way to ensure she'd stay away would be to send her away. A field office in Kansas or Austin or something. It didn't really matter. Just as long as she was away from it all. And she'd be able to take Imani and lead a normal life. All he had to do now was convince his father to request the transfer.   
  
'You wanted to see me, Dad.' He walks into his father's office, trying to keep his nerve. She's be angry at him if she ever found out what he'd done. But this was for her own good.  
  
'Where have you been? Your sister's been back for hours.'  
  
'I know. She left when I was asleep. Have you spoken to her? Did she say anything to you? Is she okay?'  
  
'Why? What happened? You sound awfully concerned all of a sudden.'  
  
He was concerned. His sister was attacked by a madman who would have done God only knows what to her had he not intervened.  
  
'Nothing,' Lyle lies, deciding to keep the attack to himself. 'But I am concerned. About the Jarod chase. I think Miss Parker is just a stumbling block for us. I'd be better off searching for him on my own. Is it possible to transfer her somewhere else?' He laid his cards out on the table. There was no turning back now.  
  
'Another department? Back to Corporate maybe?' Mr. Parker asks.  
  
'How about another state? Or country even. She's been distracted with that little girl. It would be better for them both to be away from the Jarod chase. We'd all be better off. You know what happened to my mother when she started a family. Miss Parker may be like her and start to develop noble intentions where Jarod's concerned.' Lyle suggests.  
  
'You're right, son. Your sister has been a hindrance to finding Jarod. I always knew they were attached as children. I just thought she'd grow out of it. But not even the brainwashing seemed to help. She still has this connection that's getting in the way. So, we need to break the connection.  
  
'Just what I was thinking,' Lyle smiles. This was easier than he had expected it to be. His father was agreeing to the transfer. He was relieved that Miss Parker would finally be getting away from Jarod and all the danger her feelings for him were putting her in. 'Where are you going to send her? The office in Chicago? Philadelphia? Rome?'  
  
'I was thinking a little further away than that,' Mr. Parker says with an evil grin.  
  
The look scared Lyle. He didn't know what his father meant by that, but he could see that it wasn't the same thing that Lyle was thinking.  
  
'What are you saying, Dad?'  
  
'Simply transferring your sister won't help any. She's become too much of a liability. She needs to be removed . . . permanently. And I want you to do it.'  
  
'You want me to kill her?' Lyle asks with a shaky voice. He couldn't believe what his father was ordering.  
  
'Is that a problem?' Mr. Parker challenges. 'I figured it was the least you could do. Seeing as how you ruined the last attempt to take care of her.'  
  
'You set up that attack,' Lyle realizes. 'That guy in Boise was supposed to kill her.'  
  
'And now, you're going to do it.' He looks at Lyle with a look saying that he didn't have a choice about it. That if he didn't do it, someone else would kill them both.  
  
'She was rushed to the hospital this morning. Sydney called it in. He's there with her now. Send him back here and then you offer to take her home. Once you're there, take care of her. Is that clear?'  
  
"What am I going to do now?" he repeats to himself. His father is expecting him to deliver her dead body. But he couldn't kill her. Especially now. With the baby. He sighs, wondering what he was going to do. Wishing now that Jarod had been able to convince her to leave before this. He realized that Jarod was only trying to do the same thing he's doing now - get her away from that place before it kills her. But now, it just might be too late.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Jarod continues to sit in shock over the last bit of news he discovered. He and Willie shared a father. He didn't know how to handle that. He didn't know what to think about it all. How do you let go of years of hate and anger just because you found out that someone's your brother? How can he just forget about all the beatings he received by the hands of Willie? How can he just ignore the way he betrayed Miss Dee and her family over the years? How can he forget about the way his heart literally shattered the very second Willie's bullet almost killed the love of his life? It was too much.  
  
"Jarod, I know you have some issues with him," Miss Dee starts.  
  
"Issues? Miss Dee, you don't even know the half of the things he's done," he interrupts her. "I won't even tell you about them because it would kill you to know the kind of person he's become."  
  
"He's my baby boy, Jarod," Miss Dee cries. "For almost 15 years, I loved and raised him."  
  
"Well, for almost 6 years, he's tormented me. Imprisoned me. And attempted to recapture me. Not to mention how he almost killed the woman that I love more than my own life."  
  
"I understand," she whispers. "But please understand where I'm coming from. You encouraged Victoria to try to make amends with her brother. I want to implore you to do the same. You two are so much alike. Those eyes. That smile. And the caring sensitive way he used to be. I know there's good inside of him, Jarod. I know that it's still there."  
  
"There has to be good in him," he smiles. "With you as a mother, I don't see how there couldn't." He leans over and hugs her, enjoying the feeling of being in a mother's arms. "I love you."  
  
"I love you, too, Jarod. Just do me a favor and please bring my boy back to me. For all of our sakes."  
  
"I'll do my best," he says, kissing her on the cheek. "Why don't you go up and get some rest. You've got to be tired too. Imani will be up soon and hopefully Tori will be home too."  
  
Jarod takes her up to the guest room next to Imani's room. He makes sure she's settled before going back down. He had almost forgotten about his earlier task of listening to the tapes from Mr. Parker's office. As he recalls, he'd left off at an interesting point.  
  
'Simply transferring your sister won't help any. She's become too much of a liability. She needs to be removed . . . permanently. And I want you to do it.'  
  
'You want me to kill her?' Lyle asks with a shaky voice.  
  
'Is that a problem?' Mr. Parker challenges. 'I figured it was the least you could do. Seeing as how you ruined the last attempt to take care of her.'  
  
'You set up that attack,' Lyle realizes. 'That guy in Boise was supposed to kill her.'  
  
'And now, you're going to do it. She was rushed to the hospital this morning. Sydney called it in. He's there with her now. Send him back here and then you offer to take her home. Once you're there, take care of her. Is that clear?'  
  
The tape is silent for awhile and Jarod sits, listening to the silence and trying to grasp what's about to happen. Several emotions rush through Jarod, but none more than hate. Even after all Mr. Parker's done to him, he's never hated the man more than he did that very second. Not only did he authorize an attack on his daughter, but now he's sending her brother to finish the job.   
  
Mr. Parker's voice comes back over the tape one last time, startling Jarod out of his stupor. It sounded as if he was talking to someone on the phone, because the conversation was one sided.  
  
'I need you to do one more thing . . . He's leaving for the hospital now . . .Wait for him at her house and make sure he follows through. If not, kill them both.'  
  
The phone slams on the tape, making Jarod jump. Mr. Parker was serious. If Lyle didn't kill Miss Parker then he was sending someone who would. He had to come up with a way to save them all.  
  
Jarod stops the tape and grabs his phone, hastily dialing Sydney's cell phone number.  
  
"This is Sydney," the voice answers.  
  
"Syd! This is Jarod. Where are you?"  
  
"Back at the office. I was politely ordered by Lyle come back here. He's bringing Parker home now."  
  
"They've left already?" Jarod asks, practically in tears.  
  
"What's going on, Jarod?" Sydney's voice is marred with concern. Something was going on to get the pretender all worked up.  
  
"I'll have to explain it to you later," he tells Sydney before abruptly hanging up the phone. 'If there is a later,' he thinks to himself.  
  
He doesn't have much time to come up with a plan. As soon as he hangs up the phone, he hears a car pull into the driveway. He quickly tries to SIM a plan, but his mind is too clouded with raw emotions. The door starts to open and he has barely enough time to find his gun and tuck it into the waistband of his jeans.  
  
"Thanks for bringing me home," Miss Parker says to Lyle. She's standing in the doorway, keeping him out on the porch.  
  
"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Lyle asks, looking around nervously. He knew his father was serious about wanting Miss Parker dead. He wasn't taking any more chances. Lyle knew that someone else would be there to handle the job if he failed.   
  
"The place is a mess," she tries to explain.  
  
"I'll clean it for you. You need your rest anyway." He pushes his way into the house and leads her to the sofa.  
  
Miss Parker looks around, trying to spot Jarod, or any evidence of him. She doesn't see him and almost breathes a sigh of relief that all's clear.  
  
"How's Imani?" Lyle asks, trying to stall to give himself time to gather the courage to confess to her what their father was making him do.   
  
"Good. I miss her, though. Why do you ask?" Miss Parker looks at him quizzically, wondering why he's asking about Imani out of the blue like that.  
  
"No reason. She's so little. I bet you worry about what would happen to her if you weren't around. I mean, who would take care of her?"  
  
Miss Parker's innocent wonderment turns to shock and fear. Why is Lyle asking her these questions?  
  
"Her father would take care of her," Jarod says from the darkness.  
  
Lyle and Miss Parker look over to the source of the voice, but all they see is the silver glint from the gun.   
  
"Now if you don't mind stepping away from my wife and putting your hands where I can see them," Jarod orders.  
  
"Jarod, what are you doing?" Miss Parker asks him. She's grateful that he's there, but also a little confused as to why he's holding a gun on her brother.  
  
"I don't think I'm the one who needs to be explaining his actions. Am I Lyle?" They both look over to Lyle and a guilty look instantly graces his face. "Do you want to tell her what's going on here? Or shall I?"  
  
  
Chapter 16  
  
"Do you want to tell her, or shall I?" Jarod growls.  
  
"Married? You two are married? He's the father of your baby?" Lyle questions Miss Parker unbelievingly. He's even more shocked to see her smile and nod her head to confirm Jarod's story.  
  
Jarod steps closer and shoves the gun in Lyle's chest. Lyle takes a step back and holds his hands up in the air.  
  
"That sounded more like questions to me. Not an explanation. Now start talking," Jarod threatens.  
  
"What is he talking about, Lyle?" Miss Parker asks, wondering what Jarod was so serious about.  
  
"Dad arranged for your attack in Boise," he starts slowly, not wanting to give her too much of a shock.  
  
"I already knew that," she says quietly, still disgusted at her father's actions.  
  
"What you may not know is that he wants me to finish the job," Lyle continues. "He sent me to kill you." He lowers his head so that he won't see the disappointment in her eyes as he continued. "When we were at the hotel, we were able to talk and be honest with each other. And I was finally able to connect with you. I could see things through your eyes. Feel the things you felt. I knew you loved Jarod, even when you didn't admit it. I was jealous that you could love him, but not me even though I was your own flesh and blood. And it made me angry to see what those feeling were doing to you. I had myself convinced that Jarod was to blame for anything bad that happened to you."  
  
"Lyle, I made that mistake myself," she admits. "But Jarod's good for me. I love him and he loves me. And it's always been that way for longer than either of us can remember. All these years, he's been trying to get me to see that."  
  
"I saw you heading down a road to disaster. And I wanted to protect you. I knew that loving Jarod would get you nowhere. Look at what happened to our mother. Feelings get you killed. And I didn't want that to happen. To protect you, I only saw one thing I could do - sever your ties to Jarod."  
  
"You went to Dad, didn't you? What did you tell him? Did you tell him about how I was going to betray the Centre? Did you tell him about what I confided in you about?" she yells angrily.  
  
"Do you see now why I was getting worried?" he yells back. "People don't even think about betraying the Centre without meeting with an unfortunate and usually painful accident. I didn't tell Dad about your plans. But I did go to him. I told him that you were hindering the hunt for Jarod. And I tried to convince him that it would be in the Centre's best interest to transfer you. To another office, another city, another country. It didn't matter. As long as you were away from Jarod. Before he got you killed. I thought it would be best if you and Imani were away from it all."  
  
"So, how did you get from supposedly trying to protect her from being here to kill her?" Jarod asks sarcastically.  
  
"I guess my father had his own ideas for getting her away from the chase. That's when he ordered me to kill her."  
  
"He told you I was at the hospital," she realizes. She was wondering how Lyle and the sweepers tracked her down at the hospital. It was information her father could have easily gotten. He probably had spies at the hospital.  
  
"But he didn't tell me about the baby," Lyle tells her. "I didn't go to the hospital to kill you. And finding out about the baby pretty much sealed it. I knew that like it or not, I was going to have to get you away from that place. Even if that meant getting help from Jarod. I knew he'd be able to protect you."  
  
Miss Parker seems like she believes Lyle's story. Jarod's not so sure. To be on the safe side, he checks Lyle for a weapon, but realizes he doesn't have one.  
  
"No gun?" Jarod asks him.  
  
"I told you. I didn't intend on killing my sister. Please believe me, Parker. I didn't come here to hurt you," he swears.  
  
"Maybe you should wait until later to try to convince us. Because right now that's the least of our worries. We got bigger things to think about. Like what we're going to do when whoever your father sent to make sure you did 'your job' shows up and does 'his job'." Jarod tells them, looking out the front window for any sign of company.  
  
"He sent someone?"  
  
"Right after you left. He called for someone to make sure you did what you were supposed to do. If not, he'd take care of the both of you."  
  
"I'm not surprised," Lyle remarks.  
  
"That makes one of us," a voice from the front doorway says suddenly, startling the whole group. "Look at what we have here. The chairman's son with a very alive chairman's daughter. And they're both conspiring with the escaped pretender. Jarod, fancy meeting you here."  
  
"Willie," Lyle growls. "It figures he'd send you."  
  
"Shut up," Willie yells. "Get over there. All of you."  
  
"I don't think so," Jarod says to him. He stands in front of Miss Parker as a shield and directs his gun away from Lyle and puts it on Willie. "As you see, we both have guns. And believe me when I say if you use yours, I won't hesitate to use mine. You'll be dead before I let you hurt her."  
  
"Is that so?" Willie sneers, taking the safety off the gun and pointing it directly towards Jarod.   
  
Both men stand gun to gun and stare at each other for a seemingly endless moment. Yet, neither of them seem able to pull the trigger, but only Jarod knows the reason why. No matter what this man has done, he can't bring himself to kill his brother. He can't go back on his promise to Miss Dee not to hurt him.  
  
Willie tries to shoot him, but something won't let him pull the trigger. Something he sees in Jarod's eyes. He's shaken to his core when he realizes that he sees himself. He gets the feeling that shooting Jarod would be like shooting himself.  
  
"That's more than enough," a voice sounds sternly from the stairway. "Put the guns away."  
  
"Mama?" Willie gasps when he sees Miss Dee. He's distracted just long enough for Lyle to take his gun away.  
  
"I said to put the guns away," Miss Dee says again, staring at Jarod and Lyle and visually scolding them for their disobedience.  
  
"Yes ma'am," they both say in unison, knowing better than to cross the older woman. Jarod takes both the guns and removes the clips before putting them on the coffee table.  
  
"How are you doing, Victoria?" she asks, focusing her attention on Miss Parker.  
  
"Better," she says. "Is Imani . . . "  
  
"She's upstairs, worried sick about you. Why don't you go on up there with her. I need to speak with your brother and my two boys," she smiles as Miss Parker climbs the stairs to Imani's room before turning a serious face back to the men.  
  
"You don't have anything to say to your mother?" she asks Willie. Half in anger and half in sadness. But she also felt incredibly relieved to see that he was alive and well. She holds her arm out and he goes willingly into them.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mama," he whispers.  
  
"I don't want to hear that right now," she cries. "I'm just glad you're alright." She continues to hold hug him, making up for years of lost time with her foster son.  
  
"Does someone want to explain to me what's going on here?" Lyle asks. "Aren't you . . ."  
  
"Deidre Nelson. I met you about a year ago when you decided to invade my house," she reminds him. "Lucky for me your sister and that nice older man showed up to reign you in."  
  
"She raised Willie. And she's Imani's grandmother," Jarod explains.  
  
"Who's Imani?" Willie wants to know.  
  
"That's me," a little voice chimes. Everyone looks up and sees Imani bouncing down the stairs. "Uncle Lyle!" She runs to the man and he opens his arms in time to catch her.  
  
"Hey there, Munchkin. How's my favorite niece?" he asks, giving her a little hug before setting her down quickly. A warning glare from Jarod chills him from across the room.  
  
"Yeah, right. I'm your only niece," she giggles. She runs over to Jarod and he picks her up. "Daddy, who's that?" she says quietly, pointing to Willie.  
  
"Daddy?" Lyle and Willie say in unison.  
  
"It's a long story," Jarod simply says. "Where's your mom, Princess?"  
  
"She's in the kitchen fixing us a snack."  
  
"Why don't you go get that snack with Granny and tell your mom we need to talk to her," Jarod tells the girl. Imani jumps down from his arms and runs into the kitchen, with Miss Dee a few steps behind her.  
  
Jarod gets the guns from the table and loads them again. When Miss Parker joins them, he gives her one of the guns and he keeps the other.  
  
"This is to make sure I have everyone's complete cooperation," he starts. Miss Parker has changed into some more comfortable clothes. The clingy tank top molds to her stomach and he can see a small bulge that all her other clothes normally concealed. The bulge just reminded him that their time was running out with each passing day. He would not let another child of his have anything to do with the Centre.  
  
"And if you don't have our cooperation?" Willie asks. "What then? You kill us."  
  
"Don't push me, Willie," Jarod warns. "Whatever goes on between Lyle and Miss Parker is going to stay between them. But, your life is in my hands."  
  
"So you are going to kill me," Willie challenges. He backs off when Jarod storms across the room, stands eye to eye with him and menacingly waves the gun in his face. For a few moments, Willie sees a look in Jarod's eye and just knew he was a goner. But the look is replaced with something else. Something he can't put a finger on or decipher.  
  
"I've seen that woman cry for you every day for the past five years," Jarod says, pointing towards the kitchen where Miss Dee was with Imani. "She knows all about what you have done. The kind of person you have become. And she blames herself for not being good mother to you. I refuse to let you out of that guilt the easy way by killing you. And I won't put her through the hurt of losing you again. You won't die by my hands. Circumstances beyond either of our controls have bound us together forever, Willie."  
  
"What kinds of circumstances?" Willie wants to know, suddenly very curious.  
  
"You're asking too many questions. Now's the time for you to listen," Jarod orders before turning his attention back to the rest of the group. "The two of you have a decision to make. We all are alike in one simple way: the Centre holds the keys to our past. And possibly our future. Either you help us find those secrets once and for all. Or you go down with everyone else there. It's your choice."  
  
Chapter 17  
  
Jarod sits out on the back porch, swaying silently along with the gentle rocking of the swing. The night was still and quiet. Only the seldom hoot of an owl reminded him that he wasn't the only person on the earth. He left the others in the house, thinking about his proposal. A cool breeze blows and disturbs his solitude, bringing with it the sweet scent of Miss Parker's perfume.  
  
"Is this seat taken?" she asks softly.  
  
"It is now," he smiles, moving over a little and inviting her to sit next to him. He puts his arms around her and pulls her so close to him he can feel her heart beat.  
  
"Are you okay? You seem kind of out of it," she remarks.  
  
"I'm just tired. Tired of the secrets and lies that we've based our lives on," he sighs. "I'm sick of things being the way they are. Everything is so bittersweet. I have a wonderful family, but I'm sick with fear every night that they'll be taken away. I searched for years to discover the truth about my past, only to find out it's nothing like I expected. I have a father who's caused me more physical and emotional abuse than I care to remember and a brother who's done the same."  
  
"Brother? You found out some more information?" she's curious.  
  
Jarod looks back inside the house and sees that everyone is where he left them before. Lyle's pacing around the living room and Willie's at the kitchen table catching up with Miss Dee. He returns his attention back to Miss Parker and lowers his voice so that no one will hear him.  
  
"Today. When you were still at the hospital," he whispers. "It's Willie."  
  
Her eyes open wide in shock, although she shouldn't be surprised at anything anymore. Since this whole thing has started, it's been nothing but strange. From that first day she ran into Jarod and Imani to that day she decided to marry him. Nothing in her life could be even close to what she'd call normal.  
  
"I . . . I . . . I don't know what to say," she stutters.  
  
"I had pretty much the same reaction," he laughs uneasily. "I still don't know what to think about it. Or what to do. Right now, we have to figure out a way to get you out of this current mess that you're in. Because like it or not, your father will be expecting your dead body soon."  
  
"You'll come up with a way. I trust you," she smiles. "Do you remember the time when we were kids? Me, you and Angelo broke into one of the labs on SL-8 and messed with the short wave radio Sydney would keep down there."  
  
"You were convinced we could contact aliens," Jarod laughs, remembering the day she's talking about. "When you'd get those ideas in your head, there was no stopping you. You ended up knocking the radio off the table and breaking it into thousands of tiny little pieces. We barely had enough time to hide before Sydney came rushing in."  
  
"I just knew we were going to get caught and get in big trouble. But, you were my knight in shining armor as usual. You figured out a way to rescue me. Sydney never even knew." She looks up at him and kisses him gently. "We'll figure out a way out of this now. We can do anything as long as we're together." She snuggles deeper into his arms and they continue to sit in silence, gently swinging back on forth in the darkness.  
  
The door opens a little while later and Willie appears on the back porch.  
  
"Sorry," he mumbles. "I didn't realize you were out here."  
  
"That's okay," Miss Parker says, standing up from the swing. "You guys should probably talk anyway. I think I'll head off to bed." She leans over and gives Jarod one last kiss before whispering into his ear. "Trust your heart to do what's right. Everything will be fine." She flashes Willie a tentative smile before going into the house.  
  
"You and Miss Parker. Who knew? I never would have guessed you two would end up like this," Willie says, sitting down in a chair across the porch from the Jarod. He was trying to make small talk to avoid the inevitable conversation the two of them would have to have.   
  
"Why Sharisse?" Jarod asks after ignoring Willie for a few minutes. "How could you let them do that to her?"  
  
"I never imagined it would go that far," he admits. "He told me she'd have the baby and then forget that any of it ever happened. But you found out about her. And helped her escape. Ruined my whole plan."  
  
"Are you trying to blame me for something, Willie?" Jarod asks defensively. "You're the one who lured her in that place, knowing good and well what those people stood for. You're the one who handed her over to Raines. Do you even know what they did to her in that place?"  
  
"She was just going to have the baby. Then, her memory would have been wiped and she wouldn't have remembered ever being there," Willie explains. "But you took her before we could . . . "  
  
"Before you could what? Take her child? My child?" Jarod asks angrily.  
  
"Before we could get rid of the memories," Willie yells. "If she didn't remember, she wouldn't have known how I betrayed her."  
  
"Well, she's not remembering anything right now. Your mentor, Raines, made sure of that." Jarod cringes at the very idea of that man's blood running through his veins.  
  
"What do you mean? Mama said Sharisse got sick shortly after Imani was born and died. Raines didn't even know where she was. How could he have been responsible?"  
  
"Ever hear of a little something called PQ9486?" Jarod watches as Willie's face contorts in anguish as he realizes what Raines had done. The very mentioning of that drug makes even the hardest of hearts break for whoever suffered the tragic fate.  
  
"He didn't . . . he couldn't have . . " Willie stutters.  
  
"Why are you so loyal to that man?" Jarod wonders. "After what he made you? All the things he made you do? What he did to Sharisse? She loved you, Willie. And any loyalty you give that man is a betrayal to her memory. What did he promise you that was worth giving up the love of your life?"  
  
"I didn't feel like I had a life, Jarod. I didn't know who I was. Miss Dee was the best mother I could have dreamed for, but I knew my real mother was out there. I had to find her. My research led me to the Centre. And Raines promised me information. But pretty soon, it was like I had sold my soul to the devil or something. I kept getting deeper and deeper involved until I had turned into someone I was ashamed of."  
  
"What are you going to do now?" Jarod asks. "I can help you get the answers you're looking for. Are you going to help us? Or try to stop us? I have a family now. A wife and child. And one on the way. I already lost Sharisse. I'm not losing someone else I love to the Centre. Enough is enough."  
  
Jarod ends his little sermon and lets Willie think. He could tell him about Raines being a crazed serial rapist. He could tell Willie that Raines was their father. And he could tell Willie that Raines quite possibly arranged for his mother's mysterious death. But he didn't. Willie's decision would have to be based on the need to want to do what's right, not revenge.  
  
"Enough is enough," Willie whispers, bringing a little smile to Jarod's face. "It's time I set things right. It's time I found myself again."   
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
A few hours later, Jarod, Miss Parker, Lyle and Willie gather around the living room and begin making their final plans to infiltrate the Centre. A friend of Jarod's came an hour earlier to pick up Miss Dee and Imani to take them to a safe place until after everything was settled.   
  
"How long until they get there?" Miss Parker asks nervously, glancing at her watch every ten minutes wondering how Imani was.  
  
"Probably not until closer to daybreak," Jarod tells her. He looks and sees that she's worried about Imani. "Imani's going to be fine. She may be a little scared and wonder where she is, but Miss Dee will be with her."  
  
"Mama's good at that," Willie adds. "She had a way of making us feel at home no matter where we were. I remember one year this hurricane blew through town. We had to evacuate our house and go to a shelter. We were terrified of the storm. And it didn't make us feel any better being at a strange place. But after awhile, we forgot about being scared. With Mama there, it almost felt like home."  
  
"I'm sure you two are right," she sighs, rubbing her belly in small circles. She stands up and walks over to the back door and stares out the window.  
  
"Is she going to be alright?" Willie asks with some concern.   
  
"I really don't know," Jarod confesses. "That was nice of you to say what you said, though. I'm sure it brought her some comfort. She's become so attached to Imani. Plus, we had a little scare this morning with the baby. I think that right now, her emotions are on overdrive where her children are concerned."  
  
"I think this is it," Lyle says. He was monitoring a police scanner for news of phase one of their plan. "An accident off of highway 79 has just been reported. It's only a matter of time now before my father hears about this."  
  
"That means it's only a matter of time before he sends the cleaners here," Miss Parker realizes.  
  
"She's right," Willie says. "It's time we got out of here before they show up."  
  
They all quickly move to their assigned tasks. Jarod makes sure the cars have been loaded up with the things they'll need when they get to the Centre. Willie makes sure all the weapons are fully loaded. Lyle and Miss Parker busy themselves with making the house look as if a struggle had taken place.  
  
Phase one of the plan called for giving Mr. Parker what he was looking for - proof of Miss Parker's death. They would mess the house up a little and then make it seem like Lyle and Miss Parker went on a high speed game of chase ending in a tragic accident. Enough of Miss Parker's DNA would be found at the scene of the crash to initially convince her father she was dead. It should buy them enough time to move on with phase two.  
  
"I think that's everything," Lyle says, giving one last glance around the house.  
  
"One last thing." Jarod pulls a couple of bulletproof vests from the closet. He gives one to Miss Parker and tosses the other one to Willie. "Put these on, you two."  
  
"What about you and Lyle?" Willie asks.  
  
"I only had two," Jarod says quickly, trying to avoid eye contact with Miss Parker. He knew she'd be worried about him. But she catches his glance anyway and sends him a knowing look. She understood what he was doing. He was doing all he could to make sure his little brother came out of this thing alive.  
  
"Then you should . . . " Willie starts.  
  
"Just put the thing on, Willie," Jarod snaps. "I won't need one. They won't be expecting to see me. Besides, I promised Miss Dee I'd bring her baby boy back to her. And I don't intend on breaking that promise."   
  
'They took away Kyle before I even had a chance to get to know him. I'm not losing another brother to them,' Jarod swears silently.  
  
"Let's do this," Miss Parker says, touching Jarod lightly on his shoulder.  
  
"Are you sure you're ready for this, Baby?" he asks her.  
  
"I'm ready for this to be over," she growls menacingly. "I'm ready to make my father wish he'd never been born.  
  
To be concluded in Final Countdown 


	5. Final Countdown

Title: Final Countdown  
Author: Nicky (NickyM96@yahoo.com)  
Rating: PG  
Category/Keywords: JMPR  
Summary: With freedom within their reach, Jarod, Miss Parker, Lyle, and Willie face the Centre in one last showdown. Will they all make it out alive?  
Disclaimer: The characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots etc. and the fictional Centre, are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and used without permission. I'm not making any money out of this and no infringement is intended.  
  
Book V: Final Countdown  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Light. That's all I see. Brightness all around. Almost blinding. But not quite. I can still see little things. Shadows. Blurry images. And I can hear faint sounds. It sounds like laughter. I look over and see my daughter and I now understand where the happy giggles were coming from. I smile the proud father's smile and start towards her. Only, I can't reach her. I'm being pulled and pulled and pulled until my daughter is no longer in view. Instead, I see two lakes of crystal blue quickly approaching. I soon see that the lakes are attached to the face of an angel. Her sparkling blue eyes smiling down on me. Ever so slowly, she leans over and presses two soft lips against my own and I can taste her sweet breath. It makes me feel alive.  
  
I close my eyes and accept the air she offers. It fills my chest and I feel my heart quicken. The breath shoots through my entire body like a bolt of lightening, forcing my eyes open with a start. I look up and still see the blue lakes staring at me. The angel is still there smiling down on me. Her lips touch mine one more time and she gently strokes my face. I must be dead. And this must be Heaven.  
  
"Welcome back," the angel says in a familiar voice. I blink a couple of times and the face becomes clearer. Slowly, I lift my head from her lap and look around at my surroundings. The events leading up to this moment suddenly come crashing back to my mind, bringing with them an excruciating headache. I realize that I'm not dead. And this is definitely not Heaven. My eyes close again and I begin to remember exactly how I ended up in this nightmare.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
7 hours earlier  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The halls are kind of active and frenzied. Odd, seeing as how it's not even seven yet. Usually things don't get busy around here until about eight. I like to come in early while things are nice and quiet, but it seems like something big is going on. I walk by Miss Parker's office to see if she could tell me what's happening. But strangely enough, she isn't there. Her brother is.  
  
"Mr. Lyle," I stutter in shock. I always seem to do that around them both. What was he doing here so early? And why was he rattling around Miss Parker's desk like that?  
  
"Broots," he says with a little jump. I think I surprised him.  
  
"Mr. Broots," another voice growls. The voice belonged to the chairman. I see him standing on the other side of the office. "It's good that you're here. I have some changes to tell you about. Due to circumstances beyond her control, my daughter will no longer be in charge of the search for Jarod. You and Sydney will be working with Lyle. Effective immediately."  
  
I look over to Lyle and shudder. Miss Parker was scary. But I knew she was harmless. She'd never dream of leaving my poor Debbie a fatherless orphan. But Lyle. Well, I don't know what to say about him. I've heard the rumors about some of the horrible things he's done. And I've been with Miss Parker when she's discovered some of his extra curricular activities. But lately, she's been spending a lot of time with Lyle. So maybe he's not so bad.  
  
"I'll leave you two so you can get down to business. Maybe now with my daughter out of the way, we'll see some real results in this search," Mr. Parker says heartlessly. He gives them both a stern glance before turning to leave the office.  
  
Lyle stares after his father, and for a second, I see a look of pure hate and repulsion dance in his eyes. But he quickly covers it and turns to me with a blank, emotionless stare.   
  
"Lets walk, Broots," he says simply. And I have no choice but to follow.  
  
We walk for several minutes saying nothing. He looks up a lot, almost as if he were expecting to see something in the vents. Finally we make it to our destination. The computer room that's like a second home for me. Or, more like a first home since this is where I spend most of my waking hours.  
  
"After you," he says. And I nervously enter the room. I don't know what to expect from Mr. Lyle. And I find myself glancing furtively about, hoping to thwart any unexpected surprises. Instead, I only see a red-eyed Sydney sitting quietly in morbid silence. Just by looking at him I could see that something was wrong. And I was terrified to find out what it was.  
  
"What's going on, Sydney?" I ask. I can hear my voice crack in fear. And I can feel my knees begin to wobble.  
  
"There was an accident," he whispers hoarsely. "Early this morning. Miss Parker. She's . . . . she's gone." He glares at Lyle with a look I've never seen in Sydney's eyes. It takes me a minute to realize he's about to attack Lyle. Well, maybe not a whole minute, but it seemed that long. Everything was moving in slow motion. Kind of like we were all underwater.  
  
My ears pick up a sound that stops both men in their tracks. It's only after they stare at me that I realize I'm making the sound. An awful, gut wrenching cry coming from the pain of my heart breaking. Miss Parker? Gone? How could that be? How could something like that happen?  
  
"Why don't you ask our new boss how something like that could happen," Sydney says angrily. Wait. Did I say something out loud? I must have for him to be answering me.  
  
"I left him at the hospital with her. He was supposed to be taking her home. I didn't realize he planned on wrapping her car around a telephone pole!" Sydney casts another hate filled glare in Lyle's direction, and we both wait for his explanation.  
  
Lyle takes a breath, like he's going to say something, but changes his mind. He blinks once and when his eyes open, they appear to be two cold stones.  
  
"We have work to do," he says calmly. "Broots, pull yourself together."  
  
I stare at him with my mouth wide open, ready to protest his order. What did he expect me to do? Just forget about her? Just ignore the pain I was feeling? He may be cold and unfeeling, bu I don't work that way.  
  
"This has nothing to do with being cold and unfeeling, Broots," I hear Lyle say. Did I do it again? Say out loud what I was thinking to myself? I must really be losing it.  
  
"This has to do with a job getting done," Lyle continues. "And little time to do it."  
  
Like a zombie, I move mechanically to the seat in front of the computer. I type in a couple of commands and my screen comes to life with the familiar scripts I see each day.  
  
"No substantial leads on Jarod today," I hear myself say, although I don't know how I'm saying it. Miss Parker. Gone. That's the only thought rattling around my mind. What am I going to tell Debbie?  
  
"That's fine, Broots. We're not looking for Jarod today," Lyle says in a low voice. He scans the room wildly with his eyes, much like he was doing in the hallway earlier. What exactly was he looking for?   
  
And what did he mean that we wouldn't be looking for Jarod? I get a strange feeling in my stomach. I'm a little worried about what else Mr. Lyle might be having us do. What other little sick, twisted projects he wants us to work on.  
  
"What will we be doing?" Sydney asks him, voicing the concern I felt on the inside.  
  
"Let's just call it a scavenger hunt." Lyle looks at us both and I think he's amused slightly at our confusion. "Sydney, is there a radio in here? I think we'd work better with a little music."  
  
Sydney gives him a strange look before switching on the stereo. He adjusts the volume to a suitable level, but has to turn it up louder when Lyle gives him a signal. Lyle takes one last look around the room before he leans down by my ear.  
  
"What do you know about the security in this place? I need to be in control of the cameras for the next few hours," Lyle says softly.  
  
And suddenly it occurs to me. Lyle really is up to something. The loud music. The constant checking over his shoulder. Something was going on. And if Lyle was involved, it couldn't be good. The little voice in my head is telling me that I don't want to be a part of this.  
  
"Mr. Lyle, I don't know what you're up to, but . . . " I start to say. But he cuts me off.  
  
"Broots. I don't have time to explain right now. Not with these cameras," he says through clenched teeth. "At least do something about the ones in here. Then I can tell you a little about what's going on."  
  
I still don't like it, but I don't think I really had a choice. I guess I could choose not to do it. But then, he'd kill me. Crossing Mr. Lyle is not at the top of my 'to do' list today. It's way down there along with 'getting myself killed' and 'orphaning my child'. And I don't really want to die today. So I start typing, manipulating the cameras in the same way I've done before for Miss Parker.  
  
"I can give us an hour. Maybe two," I say before turning back to the computer. A few more keystrokes and the job is done. "What now?" I ask, although I'm not really sure I want to know the answer.  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
I held up my end of the bargain. The security cameras have been taken care of temporarily. Now it was time for Lyle to start explaining.   
  
"What now?" I ask, not really expecting an answer. Although I thought I deserved to know something about what was going on.  
  
"We wait," he sighs, still nervously looking around the room even though I've taken care of the cameras. But obviously, all of his paranoia wasn't in vain because a second later we hear a rattling in the air vents.  
  
"Syd, go watch the door," Lyle orders. "Broots, you come over here and help me." We grab one of the spare desks and move it to under the vent. He climbs up on it and starts loosening the screws of the vent. In a quick minute, he has the screen off.  
  
Two feet emerge from the opening and I'm shocked to see who they belong to. Jarod? What's he doing here? Jarod jumps out of the vent and lands on the table. He tests it's sturdiness momentarily before reaching back inside the vent for something. Or someone, rather. Two more feet emerge and both Jarod and Lyle reach up to help whoever else was in there.  
  
"Parker?" Sydney gasps. "We thought . . . they said . . . you were gone," he stutters.  
  
"You better watch out, Syd. You're starting to sound like Broots there," she jokes, trying to take the edge off the situation.   
  
I try to speak, but I can't manage to find any words to say. To say that I was shocked is an understatement. And probably the only reason I haven't passed out yet is because I can't seem to take my eyes off of her. She looked good for a dead woman.  
  
"I'm fine, you guys," she smiles. "News of my death had been greatly exaggerated."  
  
"Why?" I finally manage to say.  
  
"That's a long story. One we don't have time for right now," Jarod says.   
  
I guess I have to leave it at that. Be content with the fact that Miss Parker was alive and well and standing right in front of me. And realize that she didn't appear to have been in an accident. That nothing was wrong with her. That Jarod was standing very close to her. Very, very close in fact. So close he could . . . What was that? Did he just tuck her hair behind her ear? Why is he touching her so much?  
  
"We're running out of time," Lyle says, tearing my focus from Jarod and the way he was pawing MY Miss Parker. "Broots was only able to fix the cameras for an hour or two. We need to work fast."  
  
"What do you need us to do?" I ask. They still haven't said anything to us about what's going on. But, seeing that Miss Parker's involved in this, I no longer have any reservations about helping Mr. Lyle.  
  
What I do have reservations about is Jarod. I mean, what do we know about this guy really? Most of the people Sydney works with are kind of . . . crazy. At least by the time the Centre's done with them. How do we know Jarod's not like that? He must have some kind of nerve. Look at the way he has his hands all over Miss Parker. Only someone with a death wish would do that. Even though . . . well, she doesn't seem to mind. In fact, she seems to be leaning into his touch.  
  
" . . . . down in one of the sublevels," Sydney says. But I have no clue what he was saying. I was too busy watching the little 'love fest' or whatever between Jarod and Miss Parker.  
  
"Then let's get down there," Lyle says. "Broots, can you pull up the blueprints to this place? We need to know exactly how to get there."  
  
"How to get where?"   
  
"Earth to Broots," Miss Parker teases. "Where have you been? We were just talking about it. The medallions? A big secret? A private office my mother kept that Sydney remembers? Is any of this ringing a bell?"  
  
"What?" I'm still confused. I still have no clue what they were talking about. And once again I wonder, for the second time that day, about my sanity.   
  
"I think he's just a little shocked to see you alive, Honey," Jarod laughs. "I'll look up the information. That is, if you don't mind. Broots?"  
  
"No. Go ahead," I think I mutter. I'm not sure anymore what's going on. Honey? Did he just call her Honey? I'm pretty sure that's what I heard.  
  
"Listen, you guys. I'm really sorry you thought I was dead," she apologizes. A smile dancing in her beautiful eyes. A real smile. I don't think I've ever seen that on her. She looks like she's in love. With Jarod. Suddenly I feel like an idiot being so jealous. He makes her happy. That's all I should care about.  
  
"I'm just glad you're alright," I say. "You seem very happy. You and Jarod."  
  
"Yeah, about that. Broots, we didn't want to get you too involved in what's been going on. You would have been in too much danger unnecessarily. I mean, Sydney and Lyle only just found out that we were married . . . "  
  
"Married?" I shout before I can get a grasp on my emotions. "That's . . . um . . . that's great. I'm really happy for you guys. Really." I think I was convincing. At least I hope I was. Because I wasn't able to convince myself.  
  
"Found it. Sublevel 12," Jarod shouts from across the room. And before I can even blink, she's gone and is standing next to him, her hand resting easily on his shoulder. He says something to her that was obviously pleasing to her, because she rewards him with a quick kiss.  
  
"Then let's go. Sydney and Broots, come with me," Lyle says. "Sis, you and Jarod will have to go back through the tunnels.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
And so, that is where we are now. Some little office that apparently only Catherine Parker and Sydney knew about. It was a refuge of sorts for her, I guess. Just a place for her to get away from everything that was going on in this place back then. That's about all I remember. How we got here I don't know. Why we were here I'm not sure either. My head hurts and things are kind of hazy. The others have gone. I don't remember where. So it's just the two of us. Miss Parker and I. Making out. A goofy grin crosses my face and she looks at me like I'm crazy.  
  
"Are you sure you're alright, Broots?" she asks. "You took a nasty fall and hit your head pretty hard."  
  
"I hit my head?" Oh, so that's what happened, I realize. It would explain the pounding ache shooting from my skull and down my back.  
  
"Yeah. You had me pretty scared. You were unconscious and even stopped breathing for a little while."  
  
Okay, so I guess we weren't exactly making out. It was more along the lines of her giving me CPR. I feel a blush creep to my cheeks. I can't believe I thought she was kissing me. I'm such an idiot.   
  
But, her lips touched mine. And I don't think I'm ever washing them again.  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Broots? Can you hear me? Are you alright?" I gently poke him in the chest, but he doesn't respond. Why isn't he waking up? This is bad. Very, very bad. The last thing Jarod said before he left was for me not to kill anyone. And I can't even manage that task for an hour. But this isn't my fault, so don't blame me. I really wasn't in the best of moods to begin with. I was tired and aching. My back was killing me from wearing that stupid bulletproof vest. Plus, I was getting pretty hungry. Jarod knows what I'm like when I'm hungry. My hormones mixed with hunger make a dangerous combination. I get downright homicidal almost. But I never thought something like this would happen. Wait. What am I worried for? Nothing's wrong with Broots. He's fine. Just fine. But, I wonder if pregnant women get can plea not guilty by reason of temporary hormone induced insanity?  
  
I check on Broots again and panic grips me. Is he breathing? I don't think so. I watch his chest for a few seconds, but I don't see a rise and fall. What do I do? Think, Parker. CPR. It wasn't that long ago. I had a refresher course last year when I adopted Imani. Pretty soon, instinct takes over and I start rescue breathing. Two breaths was all it took. His eyes shoot open and he looks around wildly, gasping desperately for air. A huge smile of relief spreads across my face.  
  
"Welcome back," I say. His head is laying in my lap and I gently stroke the sides of his face, watching him slowly come back to consciousness. He blinks a couple of times before I'm sure he recognizes me. He sits up and looks around again. And although he seems to know who I am, he seems confused about where he is. Or how he got there. Okay, now he's really starting to scare me. He just sitting there. Staring at me with this really goofy expression. Not that he usually doesn't look pretty goofy. But this is just weird.  
  
"Are you sure you're alright, Broots?" I ask him. "You took a nasty fall and hit your head pretty hard."  
  
"I hit my head?" He looks kind of confused, like he doesn't remember it happening.  
  
"Yeah. You had me pretty scared. You were unconscious and even stopped breathing for a little while."  
  
He thinks over this last bit of information before I see him blush. He was touching his lips and still had that goofy grin. What's wrong with him? But then it hits me. Broots has always had a little bit of a crush on me. What if he thought . . . he couldn't have thought that. Could he? He thought I was kissing him? I almost laugh out loud, but I'm able to hold it in. Surprisingly, I'm not in much of a mood to shatter his poor little ego today.  
  
"Do you remember anything that happened?" I ask instead.  
  
"Most of it," he says slowly, still holding his head.   
  
It has to hurt after the way he fell. And I guess I feel a little guilty, since he was only trying to help me. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid. I didn't want Broots involved in anyway. The little guy's been so loyal over the years. I didn't want him hurt in anyway by any of this. It wouldn't have been fair to him. And it wouldn't have been fair to Debbie. Granted, it was a crazed pregnant woman and not anything Centre related that almost lead to his untimely demise. So I'm feeling doubly guilty right now.  
  
"Well, let me see if I can fill in some of the blanks for you," I say with a timid smile. I got him into this mess. The least I could do was tell him what this mess was all about.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
8 hours earlier  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
This is just perfect. Crawling through the bowels of the Centre. Just the way I like to start my day. And this stupid vest Jarod's making me wear isn't exactly making things easier for me. I understand he's just trying to protect me and the baby. But is this really necessary?  
  
"Jarod, wait a minute," I pant. I lean wearily against a wall, trying to catch my breath. The extra weight of the vest combined with the extra weight from the baby was really starting to take it's toll on me.  
  
"Why don't we take a break," he suggests. He looks at his watch and then looks around to see where we are.  
  
"Do we have the time?" I ask him. We don't have much time to get to where we're going. But I'm so tired. I don't think I can move another step.  
  
"Don't worry about that," he says, taking my hand and helping me sit on the ground. "You need to take it easy right now. You just got out of the hospital. I just wish that . . ."  
  
"I'll be fine," I insist. "This has to be done now, Jarod." It's sad, but it's true. My father has sent at least two people to kill me this past week. I might not be so lucky the next time he tried anything. Sure he thinks I'm dead now. But it'll only be a matter of time before he figures out I wasn't in that car that crashed. Things have to be settled now.  
  
"I know," he says quietly. "I just wish you didn't have to go through this at all."  
  
"You're so sweet," I smile. He really was. He loved me with his whole heart. I know it's killing him that he can't do this himself. I know that he wants to make everything better for me. But he can't. This is something that both of us are going to have to handle. I stroke his cheek reassuringly and smile once more before gently kissing him. But then he starts laughing. "What's so funny?" Good job, Mr. Mood Killer. What's he laughing like that for?  
  
"This," he says, still laughing. "Do you know how many times I wanted to do this when we were growing up? Take you into some dark, deserted corner where no one could see us. And then hold you and kiss you and touch you all over." He smiles suggestively before capturing my mouth with his own hungry lips. Hungry. Mmmm.  
  
"Jarod," I murmur through his passionate kisses. Now I'm about to be the mood killer. "Do you have anything to eat?"   
  
Well, I'm sorry. What else was I going to do? Any thoughts of hunger, food, or eating and I'm instantly consumed with a passion that only a plate of hot wings can satiate. Don't blame me. Blame the baby.  
  
"I don't have any hot wings, if that's what you want," he laughs. "But I did bring a couple of sandwiches." He reluctantly pulls his arms from around me to find his bag. "Ham, turkey, or peanut butter and jelly?"  
  
After much thought, I end up taking all three and mashing them together. Poor Jarod looks like he's about to be sick. Once again. Not my fault. Don't blame me. Blame the baby. He (or she) loves all this mixed up food.   
  
After the little snack, I'm feeling amazingly refreshed. It was time to get moving again. Luckily, we were almost there. Because I don't know if I could have taken another two hour trip through the air vents.  
  
Lyle was right where he was supposed to be. I don't know how he pulled it off. Because by now, I'm sure Broots and Sydney suspect he's done something to me. It doesn't take long for news to get around the Centre. But, the three of them are there. Just like Lyle promised. Of course, poor Broots and Syd looked as if they were seeing a ghost when I stepped out of that air vent. I really didn't want them have to go through all of that. But we didn't have time to clue them into our plans.  
  
"Parker?" Sydney gasps. "We thought . . . they said . . . you were gone," he stutters.  
  
"You better watch out, Syd. You're starting to sound like Broots there," I try to joke. They were so tense. I want to take the edge off of things. Besides, I figured they'd be jumping for joy over not having to deal with me anymore. But, they still look so serious.  
  
"I'm fine, you guys," I smile reassuringly. "News of my death had been greatly exaggerated."  
  
We don't have much time to chat, though. Lyle tells us that Broots was only able to manipulate the cameras for a few hours. That means we have to work quickly before the cameras come back on and records my return from the dead for posterity's sake.   
  
We didn't have much time. And we had even less to go on. Just the medallions and my mother's promise that together they'd make a key to unlock the mystery.  
  
"Maybe the key fits something here," Jarod suggests. "A safe. A door. Some hidden office . . ."  
  
"Wait. What did you say?" Sydney asks. "I don't know why I didn't think of this before. Parker, your mother had an office. In the beginning when your parents first came here, it was the office she worked from. But soon, she started to see so much horrible stuff going on down there. So she had it locked up and pretty soon it was forgotten. Whenever we needed to discuss things privately, that's where we'd go. It's like a little corner of the Centre that no one knows about."  
  
"This sounds like a good place to start," I say. "It just may be what we're looking for. Where's this office, Syd?"  
  
"Things down there have changed so much. I'm sure I'd be able to point it out on the blueprints. All I know is that it's near some stairs towards the north side of the building. Down in one of the sublevels," Sydney says.  
  
We all look to Broots to get the blueprints from the computer, but for some reason he's spaced out. Jarod looks instead. And finds them in a couple of minutes. Sublevel 12. That's where we're off to.  
  
"Then let's go. Sydney and Broots, come with me," Lyle says. "Sis, you and Jarod will have to go back through the tunnels.  
  
"Not the tunnels," I whine and stick out my lower lip. Maybe someone will have sympathy on me.  
  
"Come on, Honey. You can't exactly waltz down the halls of the Centre. Everyone around here thinks that you're dead. And as long as you're dead to them, you'll be safe," Jarod explains.  
  
I really hate it when he's right. I mean, he's generally right - 95 percent of the time, anyway (although I'd never admit that). But I really hate it when he's right and there's not even anyway for me to argue. I realize that I can't go wandering down the halls. That I have to stay out of sight. But it doesn't make me like the idea of the tunnels anymore than I do now.  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Ugh. The tunnels. Again. If I never see the inside of one of the air vents, it'll be too soon. I really hope all this is worth it. That we find what we need in this office.  
  
"This is it," Jarod assures me. "We'll have to get out of this vent and then walk to the room at the end of the hall."  
  
"What about the cameras?" I ask.  
  
"Broots took care of them down here. It wasn't too hard because hardly anyone is ever on this floor. He was able to loop the tape. The guys monitoring the videos shouldn't even notice a difference as long as we're out by the time the guards come to do their hourly patrol."  
  
He carefully takes the screen off the air vent and jumps down. I jump down after him and we look around just to be sure no guards are coming. We start to walk towards the room when we see Lyle waiting for us with the door open already. Sydney and Broots were already inside.  
  
"Let's go in and see what we can find," I tell them.   
  
The room was tiny. Just barely big enough for a desk and a filing cabinet. Very easy to forget about. I can see now how no one knows about it. It's pretty much just a closet.  
  
But the tiny room was so full to me. Full of emotions that almost overwhelmed me. I could practically see my mother at her desk, writing letters, doing research or whatever else her daily duties entailed. I saw a pot in the corner with a plant that had long ago died. Probably before I was born. I saw books with tattered pages that she must have read over and over. I pick up one of the books and try to leaf through the pages. Only to find out that it wasn't a book at all. It was a box of some kind, designed to look like a book.  
  
"I think I found something," I say excitedly. My hands were shaking so much I gave the box to Jarod so that I wouldn't drop it.  
  
He tries to pry it open, but it's no use. It's locked up tight. He turns the book over a couple of times, inspecting the intricate designs on the cover.  
  
"Where's your medallion?" he asks me, not taking his eyes off the cover of the book. I wordlessly take it off of my neck and place it in his hands.   
  
"What do you think?" Lyle whispers. He seems to be suddenly overcome by the whole situation. He's never really been a part of the whole 'search for the truth'. I think he can see now the importance in this all.  
  
"There's something on the cover that looks like an insignia or emblem. And I think these medallions slide right into these slots. Kind of like the missing pieces of the puzzle."  
  
The medallions slide in with a click and I hear a gasp escape my lips. This is it. This is really it. Jarod places the box down on the desk and we all just stare at it for what seems like an hour. But really it wasn't more than a couple of seconds.  
  
"Who'd like the honor of opening it?" Jarod asks.  
  
"I'll do it," I whisper. My whole body is shaking. My voice. My knees. My hands. I have to sit down before my rubbery legs fail to support me any longer. My trembling hand makes it's slow voyage across the desk and finally reaches the box. Absently, I run my fingers across it a couple of times, trying to give myself time to gather my courage.   
  
I take a deep breath. Slide my finger under the ridge and lift up. The box opens with a small squeak that echoed around the room. I reach my shaking hand inside and pull out a stack of papers, just beginning to brown around the edges. I spread the papers across the desk for everyone to see.  
  
"What does it say?" Broots manages to ask without stuttering. "Does it tell you how to take down the Centre? Is it something for you to take to the triumvirate?"  
  
"No," Jarod simply says. Speed reading must be another one of his special skills because he breezed through all the documents. I was still trying to figure out the first few. And Lyle didn't look like he was that much ahead of me. "It doesn't tell us what to do because we won't have to do anything," he says slowly as everything starts to sink into his brain.  
  
"I'm not following you," I say. Because honestly, by that point, nothing was making any sense to me.  
  
"We won't have to do anything," Jarod repeats. "Because there's nothing to do. According to these papers, we ARE the triumvirate."  
  
I didn't imagine it this time. A long, complete and utter silence. Time literally stood still. No one moved. No one made a sound. I don't even think anyone breathed. But tons of questions swirled around my mind. I didn't ask them, though. Because I knew no one would have the answers. So I just stood there like everyone else, trying to absorb the shock. Trying to make sense of a completely senseless day. Broots is the first to be brave enough to speak. But he doesn't tell us anything we want to hear.  
  
"We have company," he whispers frantically.  
  
Sure enough, the silence is disrupted by the distant clicking of shoes on the floor coming this way. It's too late to do anything. Not that there was any place to hide or anything. Jarod stands in front of me and draws his gun. Lyle does the same. I think this whole 'protect the woman at all costs' act was getting to be a bit much. A little irritating too. I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. But, it's also nice to know that I don't have to. Not right then, anyway. I was too drained to do anything.  
  
"You scared us," Lyle says when he realizes who's at the door. He puts his gun down with a sigh of relief.  
  
"They know someone's down here," Willie tells them. "I told them I'd come down to check it out. But I know more sweepers will be behind me any minute now."  
  
"This isn't good," Jarod says. "I think we're done in here, but we're not going to have time to get out of here safely." His eyes kind of glaze over and I can tell that he's simming all the different escape possibilities. "There's only one way out of this," he says after a few minutes. I can look at his face and tell immediately that I'm not going to like this idea.  
  
"Jarod, what are you suggesting? I'm not going to like it, am I? Listen, the air vents really aren't that bad. Let's just go back there," I start rambling, offering any other alternatives. The look in his eyes is scaring me.  
  
"Don't worry," he says hoarsely and I can tell he's trying to keep the fear out of his voice. He comes over and wraps his arms around me and holds me close. I hear his heart racing under my ears. "I want you to stay here with Broots. Stay quiet and you should be safe."  
  
"And where are you going?" I'm starting to get frantic now. I know now that I'm definitely not going to like his idea. He grabs a hold of both sides of my face, wiping away tears I didn't even know I was crying.  
  
"I love you," he whispers before his lips cover mine. "Stay here until someone comes back for you."  
  
"Jarod, is that going to be you? Where are you going?" I ask, but he doesn't answer me. He doesn't even look into my eyes because he knows I'll figure out what's going on in his mind. "Jarod! Answer me," I demand.  
  
He stops in his tracks when he reaches the door. He turns and gives me that infamous Jarod smile.  
  
"I just need to create a little diversion. Try not to kill anyone while I'm gone," he says, flashing that cocky grin one last time before the door closes between us.  
  
I stare at the door for several minutes before I realize he's not coming back. My ears pick up the sound of papers shuffling behind me, but I don't even bother turning around to see what Broots was doing. An hour later, I'm still just sitting there, doing the same thing. Willing the door to open. Willing Jarod to come back. But to no avail.  
  
"I can't believe he just left," I whisper finally. "He's going to do something stupid. I have to stop him, Broots."  
  
"Settle down, Miss Parker," he says with a lot of concern in his voice. "Maybe we should just stay here like Jarod said. He's only been gone an hour. I'm sure he'll be back soon. Besides, you might want to look at these papers."  
  
"I have to get out of here," I continue, still not paying much attention to Broots. I don't care what Jarod said. He had a reckless look in his eyes when he left. And it terrified me to think about him going up against sweepers in that frame of mind. I look around and notice the ever present air vents. My gateway to freedom. "And I think I found the way out. Broots, help me get up there."  
  
"Miss Parker, I don't think this is . . . "  
  
"Then don't think," I snap at him. A slight twinge of guilt nags me when I see how rude I was to him. But that doesn't stop me. "Broots, I have to get out of here. If you won't help me, then I'll do it myself, even if I die trying." He looks at me and can see that I'm serious.  
  
"Help me move the desk over there," he says finally. He knows that arguing with me is useless. But, I am surprised at his trying. Maybe he does have a backbone after all. "I'll climb up first and check it out."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"And?" Broots asks me. "What happened next?"  
  
"That's when you fell," I tell him. "The cover to the vent was sealed tight. It wasn't coming off. But, I made you pull harder anyway. You lost your balance and fell off the desk. But not before grabbing onto the bookcase for support. Unfortunately, the bookcase wasn't attached tightly to the wall as the air vents were. And it kind of fell on top of you."  
  
"That explains why I feel like I just got run over with a truck," he jokes, letting out a painful laugh. It looks like he's thinking about all I've told him because I see the light bulb go over his head when he starts to remember everything clearly. Including the reason why we were down in that room to begin with. "The papers!" he blurts out suddenly. "I remember I was trying to tell you about them before you insisted on me trying to play Tarzan."  
  
"What about them?" I ask curiously. I didn't have time to go over them. But obviously they contained the secret we were looking for. Jarod knew that before he left. And now Broots knows too.  
  
"Jarod was right. You guys won't have to do anything to get the Centre. Because it's already yours," he spits out quickly.  
  
"Come again?" I was really confused now. How could the Centre belong to us when we essentially have been prisoners here our entire lives?  
  
"You heard me right. It's all yours. Yours for the taking. You see, your grandfather started this whole place. And when your father married your mother, he was under the assumption he'd inherit it."  
  
"My grandfather bribed my father into marrying my mother? You know, I'm not even surprised, Broots. Go on."  
  
"After your grandfather died, there was no mention of it in his will. So your father got a little upset. With no one to run the place, the triumvirate had the power that your father thought he deserved. But, he eventually found out who inherited the Centre."  
  
"My mother," I whisper quietly. It was all starting to make sense. "And he killed her because of that."  
  
"Well, these papers don't say that exactly," Broots stammers.  
  
"But that's what happened," I conclude. I look at him and he looks away, trying to avoid eye contact. "Broots, I have no illusions about my father anymore. I've seen and heard too many things. And he's tried to kill me too many times. I know what kind of man he is."  
  
"I just can't believe . . . "  
  
"Believe it. I heard him with my own ears. He wants me dead."  
  
"So that he can get the Centre? Do you think he knows about you and Jarod inheriting it? If so, then why did he wait twenty years?" Broots had about as many questions as I did. And I couldn't for the life of me figure out the answers.  
  
A light tapping noise distracts me from my current train of thought and I strain my ears to try to figure out what it is. The noise is constant and I realize that it's getting closer. It sounds a lot like . . .  
  
"Footsteps," Broots says. "I think someone's coming."  
  
"Jarod?" I stand up and run over to the door, waiting with open arms for it to open. But, when our visitor finally arrives, I see that it's not who I expected.  
  
"Where is he," I ask. Not frantically or panicked, because I can already feel that something is wrong. And all I can manage is a numb sensation. "What happened, Willie."  
  
"He told me to get you out of here," Willie says, trying not to make eye contact with me. That's how I definitely knew something was wrong.  
  
"Why isn't he here himself?" I ask, still calm. Still numb. But a few tears manage to make their way to the surface.   
  
"Let's go, Miss Parker. We don't have much time," Willie pleads.  
  
"Just tell me," I whisper, the tears flowing freely now.  
  
"Raines has him."  
  
And then there was only darkness.  
  
  
Chapter 5  
  
It's a good 20 minutes after we get to Miss Parker's office before she starts to come to. That was a good thing, too. I couldn't imagine dragging her up here, kicking and screaming. Which is what it looked like I was going to have to do initially.  
  
"Jarod," she mumbles, her eyes still closed. But slowly they begin flutter and she tentatively looks around, trying to figure out where she is.  
  
"We're in your office, Miss Parker," I say to her. Broots was at her side, lovingly holding her hand and helping her sit up. Poor little geek. I think he has a crush on her.  
  
"Where's Jarod?" she asks me. "Willie, where is he?"  
  
She's persistent, I'll give her that much. She's not letting this go. I don't even know what to tell her. So I tell her the truth.  
  
"I don't know," I confess. And then I have to close my eyes because the look on her face is truly heartbreaking.  
  
"But you said that Raines . . . " she whispers, the tears already starting to stream down her face. She was holding onto her stomach, gently rubbing it as if it were giving her strength.  
  
"That's where Lyle said he was taking him," I tell her. "It was part of Jarod's plan.   
  
"Jarod's plan?" she asks, lifting one eyebrow and staring at me intently.  
  
"Maybe I should just start at the beginning," I say as I realize the explanation wasn't going as I had planned. "It all started this morning . . ."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
6 Hours earlier . . .  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
I take my normal walk down the long, gloomy hallways at the Centre. And for the first time, I noticed what kind of terrible prison that place really is. It's never really bothered me before. I guess I had just blocked out all the weird stuff going on. Like the freaky looking twins that Sydney experiments on. Or the horrible screams of the other people they test on. And the children. All the children. Taken from their families with no choice given to them. I assume that's how they got me. And because of that, I originally came to work here to investigate my past. But I got caught up in trying to be . . . . I don't even know anymore. Because all I see are monsters. Am I one too?   
  
"Did you hear the news, Willie?" It was Lewis. One of the newer sweepers. He always talked to me like I was his mentor or something. I think he sees how Raines trusts me. And he wants the kind of power I have. Not like that's saying much. But then again, how many people can get away with shooting the chairman's daughter? I still don't understand why I'm still alive to this day.  
  
"What news?" I ask him. But I know what he's talking about. I figured it wouldn't take long for word about the accident to spread.  
  
"The Ice Queen. She's dead," Lewis says with glee. "Rumor has it, her own brother did her. Ran her car off the road early this morning. There wasn't anything left. Not even teeth and bones."  
  
Lewis stands there rambling on about I don't even know what. I tune him out after a few minutes. Especially when I see Raines and Mr. Parker together at the end of the hallway. And I have to wonder to myself what's going on with that.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be doing something?" I ask him to get him out of the way. "You don't want Raines to see you standing in the hall gossiping, do you?" I nod my head towards the end of the hall to show him where Raines was.  
  
"Good lookin' out, Willie. I'll see you later, man," Lewis whispers before going down the hall in the other direction.   
  
I wait until he out of view before going down the hall towards Mr. Raines and Mr. Parker. I try to look nonchalant, like I don't even notice them.  
  
"Willie," Mr. Parker calls to me. "I see you made sure that 'special' matter was taken care of for me. I see now how loyal and trustworthy you are."  
  
"No need to thank me, Sir. Lyle took care of it."  
  
"I know. I just came from seeing him. But he only did it because he knew that if he didn't, then you would take care of them both," Mr. Parker continues. "Now that my daughter is out of the way, I'll need for you to keep an eye on Lyle. Make sure he stays loyal as well."  
  
"I think you're forgetting that Willie belongs to me," Raines rasps.  
  
Belong to him? I don't belong to anybody. Is that all they see me as? Their property? I guess this is how Jarod feels. Fighting for freedom that he deserves just by being a human. Who did they think they were? I guess technically, I'm one of these people. But all that is changing now.  
  
"Come along, Willie. We have work to do," he gasps again. What is keeping this old sack of bones alive, anyway? He always sounds like he's on his last leg. Don't get me wrong, I guess my life here at the Centre has been pretty good. But when I think about all the horrific things I've done, I can no longer respect this man. Because this is the person I allowed him to make me.  
  
"Don't forget about this afternoon. Four o'clock. Conference Room C," Mr. Parker reminds Raines. "By now, I'm sure the director has heard about the Triumvirate and the . . . accidents," he says with a laugh and Raines joins in.  
  
I look at them both and try not to act surprised by their coldness. They did something to the Triumvirate. Arranged for their deaths. And now . . . what? I know that whatever Jarod and the others are up to, this little development is sure to throw a wrench in those plans.  
  
For the next few hours, I have to follow Raines around, dragging along that oxygen tank for him. I can't believe I've done this for all these years. Too many years. And I can't believe I ever respected this man. Looked up to him. Like a father figure. Maybe it was the fact that I was searching for myself. For my family. And he promised me answers. But now, I see those answers aren't worth it. I'm shaken out of my thoughts that moment by one of the other new sweepers running madly down the hall.  
  
"What is it?" Mr. Raines asked the out of breath young man.  
  
"Sir. Sublevel 12. The silent alarm has been set off," the young sweeper informs us.  
  
I have no idea where the others are. At least I didn't until that moment there. They should have told me they'd be snooping around down there. I could have been prepared. Nevertheless, they were counting on me not to get them caught. I had to do something.  
  
"I'll go check it out," I offer. "It's probably nothing."  
  
"Go ahead. But I'll get a team together and send them after you for backup," Raines says.  
  
A team? I didn't have much time to warn the others. I get down to SL-12 as quickly as I can and find the room they're in. I guess they weren't expecting me because I meet the ends of two guns, pointing my way.  
  
"You scared us," Lyle says when he realizes that it's me at the door. He puts his gun down with a sigh of relief.  
  
"They know someone's down here," I tell them. "I told them I'd come down to check it out. But I know more sweepers will be behind me any minute now."  
  
"This isn't good," Jarod says. "I think we're done in here, but we're not going to have time to get out of here safely." His eyes kind of glaze over and I can tell that he's simming all the different escape possibilities. "There's only one way out of this," he says after a few minutes.   
  
Miss Parker goes kind of nuts. She didn't like the idea at all. It was too dangerous for Jarod to give himself over to the Centre. I could tell she was terrified for him. He tries to reassure her, but I can also tell that he's terrified for himself. With one last kiss, they say their good byes, and we all leave. Miss Parker and Broots stay behind.  
  
"Please make sure she's alright," Jarod whispers when we're down the hall. "No matter what happens, make sure she's alright." He stares at me intently. And it's shocking that he would trust me with his family. Somehow he reaches my soul. And I can feel the heartache he's going through right now. It almost brings tears to my eyes.  
  
"I'm going to make sure that YOU are alright, Jarod," I promise him. "That way, you can take care of her yourself." I give him a weak smile to reassure him. But I can't be sure of it. In my heart, though, I feel that I'm going to do whatever's in my power to keep him safe. I feel as if I have to.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 6  
  
  
I don't know what's gotten into me. Why I feel so compelled to help Jarod. Maybe it's the way he just begged me to take care of Miss Parker. A woman who's hunted and chased him for years now. Yet, he's still able to love her enough to put her safety before his own. Maybe it was the way she looked at him when she realized he was sacrificing himself for her and their children. Maybe it's the way I've seen him take care of Miss Dee, a woman who's been the only mother I've ever know. When even I turned my back on her, he was there for her. Maybe it's none of those things. It's actually a feeling. Somewhere in myself. I don't really know where it's coming from. But it's there. And it makes me desperate to help him.  
  
"So, what's the plan, Jarod?" I ask him once we've gotten down the hall a little. He just looks at me kind of sheepishly. And at that moment I realize he has no idea what to do. "You don't have a plan, do you?"  
  
"I was only concerned with keeping her safe," he confesses. "I couldn't think of anything else. And now that she's out of immediate danger, I can worry about myself."  
  
"Well, you better think fast," Lyle warns. "I don't think we have much time."  
  
"Maybe I can buy us some time," I tell them, suddenly coming up with an idea. "Lyle, do you have your phone?" I reach my hand out and take the phone from him. Dialing the numbers, I wait patiently for someone to puck the other end up.  
  
"Raines," the voice wheezes.  
  
"It's Willie," I say. "I found our problem. It was actually a false alarm. There's no security breach. When I got down here, I found Sydney wandering around one of the labs."  
  
"Very well. Tell him the area is off limits and escort him back to his office," Raines orders before hanging the phone up. He wasn't one to carry on long conversations.  
  
"Done," I say, feeling pretty proud of myself.  
  
"Good thinking," Jarod comments. "But we need to get out of here before the guards come down for their hourly patrol." He turns and starts back down the hall in the direction we just came from.  
  
"Where are you going?" Lyle asks him. "You can't go back there. Not now. Like you said, security will be down there any minute. My sister will be fine for a little longer. After the next patrol, we'll send someone back here for her and Broots."  
  
"That makes sense," Jarod relents. But I could tell that he wasn't happy about it. Until a little smile breaks across his face. "Poor Broots. I know he's used to her . . . temperament, for lack of a better word. But her mood swings have been kind of extreme this past month. I hope he can handle her," he laughs.   
  
" 'Poor Broots' is right," Sydney laughs with him. "Miss Parker is a bit temperamental. I can only imagine how the pregnancy exasperates that."  
  
We all share a good laugh for a few moments before the gravity of the situation began to sink in again.  
  
"We need to get going," I remind them.  
  
"Let's go back to Broots' computer lab. It should be pretty safe there for awhile. Until we can come back for my sister," Lyle suggests.  
  
I go first, keeping an eye out on the hallway while Jarod comes behind me. We all split up at the entrance to the air vents. Jarod climbs up and heads through the tunnels. Lyle takes the stairs up. And I escort Sydney up the elevator, just in case Raines had someone meet us to check out our story.  
  
We make it to the computer lab in a matter of minutes. It takes a little longer for Lyle. And even longer for Jarod, having to come through the tunnels. But after about a half an hour, we're all back there.  
  
"Is it safe?" Jarod whispers from the vents.  
  
"Yeah, it's all clear," Lyle tells him. Jarod jumps down and we all gather together to plan the next step.  
  
"Your father is up to something, Lyle," I start. "This morning I ran into him and Raines with their heads together. They're plotting something."  
  
"You have any idea what?" Sydney asks.  
  
"They didn't go into details. I think they did something to the triumvirate. They're meeting with the Director later this afternoon at four," I tell them.  
  
"It's almost two now. That doesn't leave us much time to find out what's going on," Jarod surmises. "We're going to have to go straight to the source."  
  
"Meaning?" Lyle asks.  
  
"Meaning, you take me to Raines and your father. Say that you caught up with me and that you're bringing me in. But before you hand me over, demand to find out what they're up to."  
  
"Jarod, that sounds like a big risk you're taking," Sydney says. "Using yourself as a bargaining chip."  
  
"It won't really matter after awhile," Jarod says cryptically. "They'll be taking me right where I need to go . . . to the Director."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"So Lyle took him to see Raines and your father before the meeting. And I came to come get you, Miss Parker," I say, concluding my little tale. "I wouldn't be too worried about him, though. He seemed like he knew what he was doing. He was trying to get to the Director for some reason. It's like he isn't afraid anymore."  
  
"He knows what he's doing. I trust that," she sighs. "But I still worry." Her hand goes to her stomach again, but this time she just rests it on the slight swell.  
  
"You should be worried. Something big is going on. Too many things are happening today."  
  
"Like?" she asks, that eyebrow shooting up again.  
  
"Like your 'death' for one. Your father wasn't even the least bit concerned about it. He wasn't even pretending like it phased him."  
  
"Willie, I'd long ago given up on my father. He never cared for me," she says sadly.  
  
"It's not that," I start explaining. "I know he didn't care. I mean, what kind of father would order his own son to kill his twin sister? But, this seemed to be the first step in some plan. Him and Raines are up to something. And I think this recent development with Jarod is the icing on the cake. Your father was extremely pleased that we'd found him."  
  
"My father? Extremely pleased? I don't think I've ever seem him 'extremely pleased' about anything."  
  
"He was practically giddy, Miss Parker. And kept on saying how perfect it all was. Whatever they're planning, it's all going to be happening in Conference Room C at four o'clock today. An emergency meeting with the Director. It seems like some . . . misfortune has come to the triumvirate."  
  
"Mi - mi - misfortune?" Broots stutters. That guy really was spineless. I just hope he won't be a problem later.  
  
"They're dead," I tell them, pausing momentarily to let them sound their shocked gasps.  
  
"They're trying to take over," Miss Parker mumbles after a few silent minutes. "It all makes sense now." She runs over to the stack of papers we brought up from her mother's office and starts to shuffle through them. Her eyes open wide in shock when she finds what she's looking for. "With me out of the way, and the triumvirate gone, the Director will have to appoint someone else to run the place. I'm sure they're thinking that whoever has Jarod is guaranteed to be chosen."  
  
"But Lyle's bringing him in technically," I remind her.  
  
"Yes, technically. And technically, he killed me. So technically, my father has a legitimate reason to get rid of him as well," she explains. She reorganizes the papers and places them in an envelope before running over to her closet. She throws open the door and quickly peruses the many outfits hanging in there.  
  
"What are you doing, Miss Parker?" Broots asks her.  
  
"I'm looking for something that won't make me look like a cow," she mutters, but paying very little attention to either of us. She settles on a pantsuit with long jacket that had one high button to close it over her growing stomach. A pair of flat heeled boots finished off the ensemble. She takes it into the bathroom and emerges 15 minutes later, fully dressed. She looked like Miss Parker again.  
  
"How do I look?" she asks us. "My belly doesn't poke out too much does it?"  
  
"You look great," Broots stammers. "As usual. Why would you stomach poke out?"  
  
"Broots! I'm pregnant, you moron," she says with a laugh. Especially when his eyes open so wide they look like they're about to pop out of the socket.  
  
"Let's get going," she says, still laughing. She grabs the envelope of papers from her desk and walks to the door.  
  
"Where? Jarod wanted me to keep you here. To keep you safe and out of danger," I remind her.  
  
"I'm going to go get my husband. And then we're going to take back what belongs to us. You can stay here. Or you can come along. But you won't stop me," she glares, daring me to even try.  
  
  
Chapter 7  
  
  
Two seconds. That's all it took. Three shots. Bam. Bam. Bam. And I watch as the future I had just been handed gets taken right back from me.  
  
I don't know exactly when things started to take a turn for the worst. And to be perfectly honest, I should have seen this coming. I'm Jarod, after all. Natural genius. Master Pretender. But I guess that doesn't mean I'm also invincible.  
  
There were too many things to distract me. Too many factors to use against me. And when you added them all up, I was bound for disaster. Destined to be here, fighting for my life.  
  
And where is here, you may ask? A better question would probably be how did I get here? Wherever here is. Not that the answer to that question makes any more sense than the previous, but it's easier for me to explain it right now.  
  
Although, I'm not quite sure where to even begin. Does this all go back to the day my mother got raped? Or the day she realized I was her rapist's baby? How about that first day I held Tori in my arms? When we were just babies, not even out of diapers. How about the day I watched my daughter come into the world? Or even the one when I had to watch her mother die. It could be the day Tori made my life complete by becoming my wife. Possibly the day she told me I was going to be a father again.  
  
Or maybe it's all of those days. All rolled into one. I didn't really expect this. The random memories popping into my head. Some good. Some bad. But nevertheless they're all parts of this thing known as my life. And it's flashing right before my eyes. Not a good sign.  
  
Then one moment is singled out of the hazy blur of memories. It's the sight of her. Her eyes, really. Trying to show no fear, but I know how to look deeper and see what's really there. I look past the cool exterior and see that's she's frightened for me. But that she has to trust me, no matter how hard that may be for her. But mostly, I see the same love that I know is reflected in my own eyes. If I have to die, then I'm glad that's the last thing I remember.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
2 Hours earlier . . .  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
I guess this is as good as place as any to begin. Because that's when I guess it all really started. I was starting to feel kind of nervous. Having my life in Lyle's hand. I can tell that his relationship with his sister has changed. And for some reason, my daughter adores him. But I still can't completely trust him. He's always been so ambitious. Trying to triumph at all costs. Will I become just another casualty of his personal crusade to make it to the top? And now, I'm letting him take me to his father. And Raines. But I know something that none of them know I know. They don't know I know Raines is my father. And I hope that will help me.  
  
We reach the conference room a few minutes after four o'clock. Apparently the meeting has already started because the door is closed when we get there.  
  
"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Lyle asks me one last time. I guess giving me the chance to back out of this thing.  
  
"It's time for some answers, Lyle," I tell him. "And this is the only way we're going to get them. Once and for all." I tried to sound sure of myself. But the truth is, I was terrified. I had a feeling I was doing the right thing, but what if I was wrong? About the documents we found in Catherine Parker's office? About Lyle's intentions? About Willie's? Can I really trust them?  
  
"Turn around," Lyle orders. "I'm going to have to cuff you."  
  
I panic for a second. But quickly gather my nerves. I turn around and place my hands out in front of me, allowing Lyle access to snap the handcuffs on my wrist. He cuffs me in front and slips the key into my hand. I guess so that I can have more control over getting free later if necessary.  
  
The restraining process is quick, and seconds later, he's turned back towards the door again. After knocking lightly on it twice, he pushes the door open, just enough to stick his head inside.  
  
"Son, you're here," I hear Mr. Parker's voice boom across the room. He turns his attention back to address the other attendees. "That new development I was telling you about is here now. And I hope this can persuade you in your decision making process. Come on in, Son," he says again. For some reason, he seemed really proud of acknowledging Lyle as his child. Probably to impress the Director.   
  
And I can tell that the Director is definitely impressed. When I walk into the room, all I hear are gasps and sighs. It's like they couldn't believe they were finally able to catch up with me.  
  
"Mr. Parker," the Director starts slowly, deliberately enunciating each syllable. "I see you've recaptured the missing pretender. And for this, I'm assuming you expect me to hand the Centre over to you."  
  
"Yes. I admit that the thought did cross my mind," Mr. Parker says carefully.  
  
"We have been looking for you for a very long time, young man," the Director addresses me.  
  
"I've been running from you for a very long time, Director," I say pointedly. I figure now's the time to show no fear. "But I'm back now. And I want what belongs to me."  
  
A silence falls across the room and I get a funny look from Mr. Parker and Raines.   
  
"And that would be?" the Director asks me.  
  
"This place. The Centre. It's mine and I want it." I really had no clue what I was saying. But it sounded good. Threatening almost. I knew that the papers said that Tori and I would inherit the Centre. But other than that, I had no idea what real rights either of us had. Or what rights Mr. Parker has for that matter.  
  
"What makes you think . . . " Mr. Parker starts before the Director silences him.  
  
"I assume you can prove this," the Director says, now completely enthralled with my presence, trying to decide whether or not I'm telling the truth. "The rightful heirs would come to me with a sign."  
  
Perfect. This couldn't be going any better than if I had planned it myself. The proof being the medallions. Of course I have proof. Or HAD proof would be a better thing to say. I had proof two hours ago when we opened the box in Catherine Parker's office. I must have left the medallions there. But, I couldn't let anyone here know that.  
  
"The medallions," I say with confidence. "One given to myself and the other to Miss Parker when we were just infants."  
  
I hear collective gasps from Raines and Mr. Parker. And I don't have to turn my head and look at them to see they're about to have a stroke.  
  
"Impossible," Mr. Parker finally squeaks out. "Even if you managed to find the other one, I still have one. And with my daughter's untimely death, I will stand in her behalf."  
  
"You sure about that?" I say with that smug grin that I know almost got me shot on more than one occasion. "When was the last time you saw the medallion? A couple weeks ago? In that safe you try to keep hidden behind that hideous portrait of yourself?" I add a dramatic laugh to further taunt him. I really should have seen the warning signs. And I should have quit while I was ahead. But I further pushed him.  
  
"And are you sure about your daughter? Is she really dead?" I stare fearlessly into the cold hollows of Mr. Parker's eyes. He was so sure this was going to work. That he'd be able to kill his daughter. Kill the Triumvirate. And get away with stealing the Centre. He didn't count on me.  
  
"Miss Parker might be alive?" the Director asks Mr. Parker with some surprise. "If all this is true, then . . . "  
  
"I assure you it's very true." The doors burst open and standing there in all her glory is my wife. But she's in Miss Parker mode, so I better stay out of her way and let her do what she came to do. She shoots everyone in the room and icy glare to show them that she was not to be messed with. "Not to sound repetitive, but news of my death had been greatly exaggerated. Isn't that right, Daddy?"  
  
"Angel," he gasps, in total shock that she's alive. But then he glares angrily at Lyle, wondering what went wrong.  
  
"Don't start, Daddy," she yells, almost letting that hard shell break. But she quickly recovers and returns back to ice queen mode. She reaches in her pocket, pulls out the two medallions, and holds them up for the Director to see. "I believe this is what you're looking for. Proof that Jarod and I are the rightful heirs of the Centre."  
  
"Where did you . . ." Mr. Parker starts to ask. But one icy look from his daughter shuts him right up.  
  
"I didn't think I'd ever see the day," the Director muses. "I thought Catherine was nuts when she placed the stipulations on her will. But I don't see where I have any reason not to grant her last request."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
After that, things got crazy. I should have known something like this was going to happen. I should have realized that they weren't going to let it go without a fight. But I didn't want to think about that. Because at the Director's last words, I felt as if we were finally free. And Tori felt that way too. I could tell. Because she just looked at me for an endless moment. Those blue eyes smiling at me full of love.   
  
And then came the gun shots.   
  
  
Chapter 8  
  
I could hardly believe it when I heard the gun shot ring out. It seemed like it came out of nowhere. But in one split second, the Director was dead. A bullet right between the eyes. And my father was holding the smoking gun. Before anyone could even blink, he had turned the gun on Jarod and fired a second shot. The look in his eyes told me that he wasn't finished. He still had someone else he wanted dead. The gun starts to turn her way and before I know it, I hear another gun shot. And then a blood curdling scream from her.  
  
"Parker!" I scream back. Although I don't know why I'm screaming. The room was deathly quiet after the gunshots. I'm sure she could hear me. "Are you alright?"  
  
She was covered in blood. And it took me a minute to realize that it wasn't her blood. It was Jarod's. She wasn't hit by my father's third bullet. Because he never had the chance to fire it. I stopped him. Looking down into my hands, I finally realize what the hot, heavy weight was that I had grasped in my shaking fingers. I drop the gun and run over to my father. He's dead.  
  
I look around and she was at Jarod's side, pressing her hand into the new hole in his leg. He was barely conscious, but alive nonetheless.  
  
"Parker, are you okay?" I ask again. I can see that she's fine, but I needed to be sure.  
  
"I'm okay, Lyle. I wasn't hit," she cries. "But Jarod was. He's bleeding so much."  
  
"You stay there and keep pressure on the wound. I'm going to call for an ambulance." That's all I could think to do. I hoped it was enough. But I didn't expect resistance. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that there was one other person in the room who escaped the rain of bullets.  
  
"I don't think that's a good idea," a raspy voice says from behind me. I feel the tip of a gun pointing in my back, so I have no choice but to put the phone down and turn around. Very slowly.  
  
"What's this about, Raines?" I ask. I'm very curious to know just what's on his mind. And just how exactly did he get my gun? But then I remember that I dropped it before. He must have gotten it then.  
  
"I'm tired of you Parkers," he gasps slowly. "You two get out. Leave me with Jarod."  
  
"No way," my sister yells from her spot next to Jarod. "I'm not leaving him."  
  
"Very well then," Raines says chillingly. "If you won't leave on your own, then I'll have your brother here drag your cold, dead body out." He gives her an evil smile before turning the gun on her.  
  
"No," I say as I step in front of the gun. I don't know what's come over me. Call it a moment of bravery. Or sheer stupidity. But in any case, I'm now between this madman with a gun and my sister. "Parker, let's get out of here," I plead with her.  
  
"Go," Jarod whispers, obviously in pain.  
  
"I can't," she sobs, pulling him up into her arms. "I don't want to leave you."  
  
"I know," he says with a resolved smile. He knows his fate. But he won't let it be hers. "But you have to."  
  
For a moment there, they're both quiet. Not saying a word. Only staring at each other. But for some reason, I got the impression that more was said in that one second than anyone really knew. And for the first time, I really was able to see the depths of their love for each other.  
  
"Let's go, Parker," I say again, this time while gently pulling her from off the floor.  
  
"I love you," she whispers to him, almost with a smile. I just hope that her love will be enough for him to fight for.  
  
We get out into the hallway outside the conference room and find Willie there waiting for us, his gun drawn.  
  
"What happened in there?" he asks frantically. "I heard gunshots from down the hall."  
  
"My father. He had a gun and shot the Director and Jarod. He was about to kill Parker until I stopped him," I explain quickly.  
  
"You killed him?" Willie asks in amazement. And all I could do was nod. I still could hardly believe what I had to do myself. It's not that I couldn't handle making the kill shot. But I never expected to have to kill my own father. Even if he was a lousy one.  
  
"Is she going to be alright?" Willie motions with his head towards my sister. And I must admit, she doesn't look good. Kind of pale. And really quiet. I think she wants to cry, but is trying hard to hold it in.  
  
"I'm fine," she finally manages. "Or I will be when I get my husband from that psychopath."  
  
"Raines got a hold of my gun and forced us from the room. He wanted to be in there with Jarod . . . alone," I tell him.  
  
"That's not good," Willie frowns. "I found something in the lab. The one Raines always works from. Just some loose wires and stuff. But they look like the kind you'd put in a bomb."  
  
"A bomb?" Miss Parker cries as a sob finally escapes her lips. "He doesn't want to just kill Jarod. He wants to kill us all!"  
  
"Sis! You have got to calm down," I say, grabbing her shoulders firmly, but not so that I'd hurt her. "I don't want to see you back in the hospital. The three of us should be able to come up with some sort of plan."  
  
"He's right," Willie agrees. "It's okay. We'll come up with something. But first, you need to get out of here," he tries to persuade her. But I could see that she didn't plan on moving.  
  
"There's no way I'm leaving Jarod," she insists adamantly. "I'm not going anywhere without him."  
  
"At least go someplace else, away from the conference room. I don't know how much explosives Raines has in there," Willie pleads with her.  
  
"Probably enough to level Blue Cove," she says quietly. A tear starts its trek down her face, but she wipes it away quickly before her Ice Queen shell starts to melt.  
  
"How about you and I go and warn Sydney and Broots," I suggest to her. "We'll have Broots start a backup of the computers . . . in case something happens."  
  
"What about Jarod?" she whimpers.  
  
"Raines will kill him if you go in there," Willie surmises. "But he doesn't suspect me. I'll go in and try to talk him out of there. You guys make sure this whole building is cleared to be on the safe side."  
  
"Are you sure about this?" I ask him. He's putting his life on the line for a man that he's never seemed to care about before. What was so different now?  
  
"I've actually never been more sure of anything," Willie says, sounding surprisingly confident of this fact, even to his own self. "It's just a feeling I have. And it's making me do this. I can't really explain why. Jarod said earlier that circumstances beyond our control have tied us together forever. I have to find out what he meant by that. Maybe he knows something about my past that I've been searching so long for. I don't intend on letting him die before he tells me."  
  
"Whatever," I say to him. If Willie wanted to bust in there and play Russian Roulette with his psychopathic mentor, then who was I to stop him. The only thing I was concerned with was getting my sister to safety. I'll let those two bozos try to handle Raines.   
  
"Come on, Sis. As you can see, Willie's got things covered here. We should go." She's still reluctant, but I pull her down the hall anyway. But deep down, I have to convince myself that his is the best thing for her. What if everything didn't work out in there with the bomb? What if Jarod was in there dying as we speak? Would she ever forgive me for taking these final moments she could be sharing with him?  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Willie takes a deep breath and wraps his hand around his gun before knocking on the conference room door.  
  
"Raines," he calls out. "It's me. Willie."  
  
He doesn't wait for a reply before slowly opening the door. He's greeted with the gruesome sight of blood all over the place. Blood from a dead Chairman. Blood from a very dead Director. And blood from a wounded Jarod.  
  
"What's going on in here?" Willie asks, being sure to use calm, quiet tones and trying to prevent making any sudden movements. The words 'Establish trust' echoes clearly through his mind, almost as if someone has whispered them to him. And although he didn't know where the thought came from, it made sense to him.  
  
"Do you need some help, Sir?" Willie offers Raines, never once giving him the impression that he was now on the opposite side.   
  
"Get out of here, Willie," Raines orders gently. "Unless you plan on being scraped from the ceiling fan with a toothbrush tomorrow." He lays down his oxygen canister and pulls the tubes from his nose. Amazingly, he had no trouble breathing at all. The oxygen tank was a fake. Something else was in it.  
  
"Is that the bomb?" Willie asks quietly. He notices Jarod out of the corner of his eye and sees the other man's eyes widen in shock at the realization that Raines planned to blow the place up.   
  
"How did you know about the . . . " Raines begins to ask, but stops abruptly with a small grin spreading across his face. "I forgot about you Willie. You're a smart man. I'm sure it wasn't hard for you to figure out."  
  
Willie was slightly taken aback by the almost proud tone Raines' voice took. But before he can think about it too much, he's distracted by Jarod stirring a little around his little spot on the ground. He notices a shiny glint coming from his hands. It only takes a second to recognize it as the handcuff keys. Willie realized he needed to somehow keep Raines distracted so that Jarod could free himself. A lot of good that'll do him, though. The wound to his leg looked pretty bad. And Jarod was looking pretty pale. He didn't have much longer. Willie had to get that bomb from Raines.  
  
"I saw the wires and stuff in your lab. It's brilliant, using the oxygen tank. I never would have guessed," Willie says, trying to sound admiring. Trying to keep the trembling from his voice. He takes a couple of steps closer to the old man, but not too close to alarm him. "Can I see it?"  
  
Raines gives him a slightly suspicious look, but shakes it off immediately. He bends down and opens the tank to reveal the bomb neatly tucked inside. Willie moved a little to his left so that Jarod could get a look at the bomb, too. They needed to know what they were dealing with. And Willie was sure that sometime during one of his pretends, Jarod had been a demolitions expert.  
  
"Sir, what's all this about?" Willie tries to keep Raines talking. Trying to keep him focused on something else so that Jarod could work on setting himself free. And coming up with a plan to stop whatever Raines was up to.  
  
"Power," Raines gasps. It sounded like he was starting to need that oxygen. "I have to take away the power."  
  
"From who? Everyone is dead. Mr. Parker. The Triumvirate. The Director. There isn't anyone left to stop you," Willie says to him. Maybe it wasn't too late to try to stop Raines from taking such a drastic measure.  
  
"There will always . . . gasp . . be someone . . gasp . . to stop me. Always some Parker . . gasp . . Always Jarod," Raines wheezes. "If there's no Centre . . . no Jarod . . . then no one gets the power."  
  
"And that's worth killing yourself over?" Willie glances again at Jarod and sees that he's managed to get out of one side of the handcuffs.  
  
"Willie, you're asking a lot of questions," Raines realizes.  
  
"I just want to know why you're doing this," Willie explains quickly. "Why you're going to kill all of us."  
  
"I never said I was going to kill you," Raines says softly. "You. You're the only successful part of this whole thing."  
  
"What whole thing?" Willie asks, starting to get a little curious. Raines had a dazed look in his eye that Willie's never seen before.  
  
"Life," Jarod says, speaking for the first time since the whole thing started. "Yours. Mine. You became what he wanted. I didn't. And that's why he's going to kill me."  
  
Raines and Jarod engage in a visual war, staring each other down and dare each other to make the first move.  
  
"You've always been too smart for your own good, Jarod," Raines growls.  
  
"Not smart enough this time, I'm afraid," Jarod realizes. "This is my fate. But don't make it his." He nods towards Willie before looking up at him. "Get out of here, Willie. Before it's too late."  
  
"How touching," Raines says sarcastically. "Trying to make sure little brother makes it out alive this time. Although you couldn't do much about Kyle. I guess you feel this is your second chance to prove your worth as a brother since you failed so miserably the last time."  
  
At that provocation, Jarod leaps to his feet by force of shear adrenaline. In a matter of seconds, he has his hands around Raines' neck, squeezing out what little life was left in the old man.  
  
"Maybe you were more of a success than I realized . . . Son," Raines manages to say through the tight grip Jarod had around his throat. His words cause something to click inside Jarod's head and he instantly lets the man go, falling to his knees without anything to support him.  
  
"Don't call me that," Jarod sobs. "I'm nothing like you."  
  
"Brother? Son?" Willie gasps. "One of you better start talking now." He holds the gun up with a shaky hand and points it in their direction.   
  
"Those answers I promised you," Jarod says through clenched teeth. "Are right here in this room." He squeezes his eyes shut tight to brace himself for the wave of pain shooting through his body. Attacking Raines seemed to have done more damage to himself.  
  
"What are you saying?" Willie's voice was starting to wave a little. He looks back and forth between Jarod and Raines, praying that they weren't about to tell him what he was starting to suspect.  
  
"Your mother was raped by Raines. She got pregnant and had you. He had her killed and until about the time you were four, you were here at the Centre," Jarod says quickly. He knew there was more to tell. He had to finish the story before he lost his nerve. "But that wasn't the first time something like that happened. He did the same thing to someone else . . . my mother."  
  
"That means we're . . . "  
  
"Brothers," Jarod whispers to finish Willie's statement.  
  
"No," Willie whispers, too much in shock to speak. Brothers. Jarod was his brother. And Raines was his father. "It can't be."  
  
"It's true," Raines swears. "Didn't you feel it all those years? Working by my side. Becoming just like me. I molded and shaped you into just what I wanted you to be. I'm so proud of you."  
  
"Don't say that," Willie yells. "You shouldn't be proud because I hate myself. I hate all those things I've done. And I hate you for making me this way. You may want to call yourself my father, but I never will."  
  
"Willie," Raines gasps.  
  
"No! Don't even say my name," Willie snarls. "Didn't you hear me? I hate you, old man. And I wish you'd just go ahead and die."  
  
Raines lowers his body to the floor as if unable to support his own body weight any longer. The heaviness of his broken heart adding to his mass.  
  
"If that's the way you want it, Son," Raines says, looking up into Willie's eyes one last time. "Then that's the way it's going to be." He reaches over for the bomb and before either of the younger men could stop him, flips the detonator switch.  
  
"What did you just do?" Willie asks, not sure of what happened.  
  
"He just armed the bomb," Jarod tells him. He tries to slide over to the bomb, but Raines pulls a gun and stops him.  
  
"Not any further," he warns, aiming the gun right at Jarod. "I can't let you stop this."  
  
"Put the gun away, Raines," Willie says, aiming his own gun at the older man. "And disarm the bomb. It doesn't have to end this way."  
  
"Yes it does," Raines says sadly. "This is the only way it can end." He takes the safety off the gun and Jarod squeezes his eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable.  
  
He hears the gun go off, but doesn't feel the hot metal enter his body. Slowly, he exhales and then dares to open his eyes  
  
"He's dead," Willie says in a cold and clinical way. Not feeling anything for the man he just recently learned was his father. "He shot himself in the head."  
  
"You get out of here," Jarod orders, sliding his body across the floor to the bomb. He looks inside and winces slightly at its configuration. "Try to empty the building before this thing goes off."  
  
"Already taken care of. Lyle and Miss Parker left earlier to make sure everyone left. Then they went to have Broots back up the computers. But I can't leave without you. Miss Parker would kill me if I left you. And then she'd come back in here for you herself."  
  
"I can't get out of here without any help," Jarod explains. "And if you have to drag me with you, you won't have time to alert Lyle, Tori and Broots. The best thing would be for me to stay here and try to disarm the bomb while you get them to safety." He can see that Willie still isn't convinced. "Please. You have to get her out of here. I don't want Imani to lose another mother. And I don't want to cause another brother to die," he says quietly, pleading with his eyes for Willie to comply.  
  
"Fine," Willie relents. He starts towards the door, but turns back and flashes one of those 'Jarod-patented' grins. Apparently it was a hereditary smile. "But don't think that just because you're older you'll be able to boss me around like this."   
  
"Just a warning," Jarod says with a slightly pain filled version of 'the grin'. "Smile like that at my wife, and she's liable to shoot you."  
  
The minute Willie's out the door, Jarod's forced smile falls. Looking at the seconds on the bomb quickly tick away, he realizes that there isn't much time left. And that there wasn't anything he could do. He just prays Willie can get everyone out before it's too late.  
  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Willie races down the hallways of the Centre. All those years of playing high school football finally paying off. He doesn't stop until he reaches the computer room where Broots, Miss Parker and Lyle were all hunched around computers trying to complete the system download.  
  
"Drop everything. We've got to get out of here now," he yells to them.  
  
"Where's Jarod," Miss Parker asks frantically. "You didn't leave him, did you?"  
  
"I had to," Willie confesses. "He wouldn't come with me. He's hurt pretty bad and there wouldn't have been enough time to bring him and come warn you guys."  
  
"Not enough time?" Lyle asks. "What do you mean by there's not enough time?"  
  
"The bomb's been armed. We're in the final countdown as we speak. Let's go. We don't have the time to be standing around chatting like this." Willie runs over to grab Miss Parker's hand and pulls her towards the door.  
  
"Go get Jarod, Willie," she orders, refusing to move from her spot.  
  
"Not until you're safely out of here. Don't make me do this the hard way," he warns. When it doesn't look like she's going to move, he takes another step closer and scoops her up in his arms. A few seconds later, they're out the door, on the way to the nearest exit.  
  
"Put me down," she struggles against him the entire way. He finally obliges her once they reach the outside gates of the complex.  
  
"Make sure she stays here," Willie tells Lyle. "And call the cops."  
  
"Where are you going?" Miss Parker cries.  
  
"He didn't want me to die in there," Willie whispers. "And I'm not about to let him do the same." He tentatively flashes the grin Jarod warned him about and is surprised to see a small smile of recognition dance on the edge of her lips.  
  
"Just be careful," she begs as he turns back towards the building.  
  
He only gets halfway back to the building before an eerie calm settles over, causing him to stop in his tracks. It was a cold, silent sensation that made all the hairs on his body stand on end. Time seemed to stand still. And that one half of a second seemed to last for a full minute. It was literally the calm before the storm. That one split second in time before the world was torn apart.  
  
Before Willie could even blink, the view before him burst into flaming reds, yellows and oranges. Bricks that previously comprised the building that used to be standing in front of him were propelled like tiny rockets. The earth shook beneath him and all he could hear was a thundering rumble that still echoed in his ears long after the explosion.  
  
"No!" a scream comes from behind him. It was Miss Parker. And she was twisting in Lyle's arms, trying to get free. Broots had to assist the man in keeping her restrained, being careful not to injure her or her unborn child.  
  
Willie quickly gets to his feet, determination pumping madly through his veins. He had to get in there. He had to find Jarod. The bomb appears to have only affected the west wing of the building. The entire east side of the building was still standing. That's where Willie went in, hoping to be able to make his way to the conference room where he left Jarod. The only sound was the crackling of the fire making it's way through the portion of the building still standing. In the distance he could hear the faint wailing of a siren, but he didn't have that long to wait on the fire or policemen. The smoke was thick and burned his throat and eyes. He knew that Jarod couldn't withstand much more of it.   
  
He takes one last deep breath of partially fresh air and covers his mouth and nose with a cloth. The thick cloud of smoke clung to everything, so it was hard to tell where he was. Pretty soon, his view was entirely obscured and he was going by instinct alone. By his estimation, he was about 20 feet away a stairway at the end of the hall. Then the conference room would be just up those stairs and across the hall.  
  
He drops to his knees to crawl under the smoke the rest of the way. He could feel his lungs tightening from the exertion of processing the polluted air. The air near the floor was a little better, but still completely smoke filled. He knew that his body couldn't take much more. With one last burst of determination, he crawls furiously the last few feet to the door of the stairwell. Or at least, where the door used to be. The missing door was one less obstacle to surmount. He said a quick prayer of thanks for small favors.   
  
He had given up on trying to see through the smoke and closed his eyes. His breathing was becoming more and more strained. But his goal was in reach. Just up the stairs and across the hallway to get to Jarod. He feels for the first stair and quickly begins his ascent, continuing that way for a few more steps. In reaching for the fifth step, his hand lands in a warm puddle. Quickly his eyes fly open to see what the hot sticky substance was, hoping it was not what he was thinking. The thick, red liquid clinging to his hands confirmed what he suspected. It was blood. The body next to the puddle confirmed whose blood it was. A mixture of relief and fear filled Willie's mind. He had found Jarod. But what kind of condition was he in? Willie finds his neck and presses two fingers to check for a pulse. There was a weak one, but strong enough to give Willie hope. With strength he didn't realize he had left, Willie wraps his arms around Jarod's chest and pulls the man the rest of the way down the stairs.  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Sir, can you tell me what happened here?" a voice says to Lyle. He looks around and sees crews of rescue workers, firefighters, paramedics and cops flocking the scene. The man talking to him was the chief fireman. But Lyle barely heard the man's words. He barely noticed the noise of the sirens and rescue crews moving in to do their jobs. He just noticed the silence from his distraught sister.  
  
"Sir," the fireman speaks again, this time gently touching Lyle's shoulder to get his attention. "I said, can you tell me what happened here?"  
  
"A bomb," Lyle whispers. He focuses back on Miss Parker, now very quiet and very still in his arms. A few minutes ago, it had taken both he and Broots to restrain her. And now, she'd gone limp. It begins to worry him. "Please. Get someone to help my sister. She's pregnant and her husband was in the building when it exploded. And now, she's not responding to me."  
  
The fireman gives Miss Parker a sympathetic glance before motioning for the paramedics. "Get this woman to the hospital. She's pregnant and possibly in shock," he orders before turning back to Lyle. "You said her husband was in the building. Anyone else?"  
  
"Yeah, another man went in after him a few minutes ago," Lyle informs him. The man thanks Lyle and tells him he's free to go. Lyle gets into the ambulance along with Miss Parker when a voice booms over the fireman's walkie talkie.  
  
"Chief," a young fireman calls. "We found some bodies. We're bringing them out now."  
  
"How many? What are their conditions?" the chief winces, knowing the kind of heat and smoke from a fire of this sort. It was very unlikely that anyone would still be alive.  
  
"There's five," the young man says somberly. "And I think they're dead."  
  
The ambulance closes its door and speeds away. Lyle can hardly believe what he heard. All dead? Even Jarod and Willie? He looks down at his barely conscious sister, wondering if she heard the fireman. One tear makes its way down her cheek and he has his answer.  
  
"It's alright, Sis," he whispers in her ear, getting no response. No sob. No gasp. Nothing. He barely even felt a breath. There was no reaching her. She was buried deep inside herself now. Her body shutting down in response to the tragedy as the only way to protect her unborn child. There was nothing he could do now to help her. All he could do was hold her hand.  
  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Miss Parker slowly opens her eyes, blinking them a few times when the sun streams through the window and momentarily blinds her. She looks around her surroundings, unsure of where she is until she hears a quick, but steady beeping sound coming from the right of her. It was a monitor of some sort. A familiar sight from her many stays at places just like this. She was back in the hospital.  
  
"Good morning, Parker," Sydney says cheerfully to her. "Two visits to the hospital in two days. That's got to be a record even for you," he laughs. She seems to be okay, he notices. Maybe a little disoriented, but the doctors gave her a clean bill of health. And that was all he cared about at the moment.  
  
"The baby?" she asks frantically when she's a little more aware of her situation. A panic suddenly washes over her as she clutches her stomach, feeling for the small bulge that had been growing there.  
  
"Fine," he smiles reassuringly. "The baby is fine. Look for yourself. The monitor is showing a strong and steady heartbeat."  
  
She looks again at the monitor next to her bed. The beeping she heard earlier was her baby's heartbeat. And Sydney was right. It was strong and steady. She finally allows a smile to grace her lips as her hand gently comes to rest again upon her womb.  
  
"What happened?" she asks, trying to maneuver herself into a sitting position. "Why am I here?" The look in her eyes turn wild as her own mind begins to answer the questions. "Where's Jarod?" She starts to panic again as the memories of the explosion come flooding back. "Tell me he isn't . . . The firemen said that all the bodies were . . ." Her sobs take over where the words leave off, shaking her body almost violently from the force of the tears.  
  
"Parker, calm down," Sydney orders gently. He leans over and pulls her the best he could into his arms. "Listen to me. He's fine. Do you hear me, Parker? I said that Jarod is fine."  
  
Her tears begin to slow as comprehension of what Sydney just said begins to penetrate her panicked mind. "Where is he?" she asks in a small voice, still shaking a little from the tears she can't seem to stop.  
  
"If you calm down, I'll go get your doctor and ask her about taking you to see him. Can you do that?"  
  
She nods and wipes her face dry. And after a few minutes when he's satisfied that she's stable enough, Sydney pats her hand one last time before leaving the room to go get the doctor.  
  
Miss Parker sits and anxiously waits for him to return when she starts to get restless. She slowly swings her legs over the side of the bed, being careful not to pull too much on the wires attached to her stomach. The floor's a little cold, but she doesn't mind it too much. It was driving her crazy being in that bed when she had places to go and people to see - namely Jarod. A smile that she can't help comes to her face at the mere thought of him. Earlier, she thought that he was dead. But she knows now he's okay. That was a relief, but she still needed to see him for herself.  
  
The door suddenly flies open, startling Miss Parker momentarily. But not as much as the blur of a tiny body being carried by a pair of small legs rushing towards her. "Mommy!" Imani screeches, flinging herself into Miss Parker's waiting arms. "We were worried about you." Imani wraps her arms around her mother's neck and begins planting small kisses on her cheek.  
  
"I'm fine, Baby Girl," Miss Parker smiles, pulling Imani closer to her. "But I missed you so much. I'm glad you're here." Miss Parker looks to the door and sees Miss Dee's oldest daughter standing there, smiling at the small reunion.  
  
"I'm glad you're okay, Tori," the woman speaks as she crosses the room to hug Miss Parker.  
  
"Thanks, Tracee. Thanks for caring. And for bringing Imani to see me. I really did miss her."  
  
The little girl starts to get a little antsy, squirming around on Miss Parker's lap. She grins at Imani, immediately recognizing the girl's dance - and what was prompting it.  
  
"Go to the bathroom, Imani," Miss Parker says, still with the amused smile on her face.  
  
"But I don't have to," Imani swears, wiggling around even more.  
  
"Oh yeah? Then what's with the dance? Bathroom. Now, young lady," Miss Parker says sternly, pointing to a door on the other side of the room. "It's right over there."  
  
The two women watch and smile as Imani scampers off to the bathroom.  
  
"She missed you too, you know," Tracee says. "She'd rather wet herself than let you out of her sight." The women laugh lightly for a minute, but Tracee sees that Miss Parker's laughter soon turns into tears.  
  
"I almost let her down, Tracee," she sighs and looks down, placing her hands on her stomach. "And this baby too. I'm usually so much in control. But I couldn't keep it together back there. I completely lost it."  
  
"Tori, what did you expect? You watched a building explode with your husband trapped inside," Tracee reminds her. She sits on the bed next to Miss Parker. "Jarod is your life. And you're his life. I know that he loved my little sister, but I can see that he couldn't live without you. So, it's perfectly understandable that you'd feel the same way. The thing is, Tori. You didn't die. You are a fighter and you didn't give up. You came back. Even when you thought Jarod was gone, you came back. Not for him, but for your children. So you see, you didn't let anyone down. You're a great mother. Imani knows that, and this baby will too."   
  
They sit in silence for awhile before it's interrupted by the door opening again. This time it's Sydney with the doctor close behind.  
  
"How are you feeling this morning, Parker?" Dr. Phillips asks. "You gave us all a scare yesterday. Especially that handsome brother of yours," she adds with a little blush.  
  
"I just need to see my husband," Miss Parker pleads. "I need to see that he's alright."  
  
"I don't think that will be a problem," the doctor says with a smile. "Your vitals are back to normal. And the baby's vital signs are fine as well."  
  
"What happened to me? Why was I brought in?" Miss Parker asks, confused that she didn't remember coming to the hospital.  
  
"According to your brother, after the explosion, you kind of spaced out. He couldn't get you to respond to anything. We think you might have gone into shock. Or some sort of state to protect your baby from the trauma you had witnessed. You blood pressure dropped and your body just kind of shut down."  
  
"But the baby's okay?" she asks to make sure.  
  
"Your baby is fine. Perfect and healthy." The doctor smiles at the relief on Miss Parker's face. She goes to the door and pulls a wheel chair inside. "Now, I believe you were wanting to take a little trip?"  
  
"In that? You said I was fine. Why do I need a wheelchair?" Miss Parker whines.  
  
"Parker," Sydney scolds. "Be lucky you're going at all. Dr. Phillips here wanted to keep you on bed rest for another day." He walks over to Miss Parker and guides her into the wheelchair. "Now be a good girl and sit."  
  
She stubbornly complies, and after Imani gets out of the bathroom, they head down to Jarod's room.  
  
The room was quiet when they arrived. Tracee stayed in the waiting room with Imani while Sydney wheeled Miss Parker in. He leaves her by the bed and goes into the hallway to give them some privacy. The sound of the opening door alerts Jarod and his eyes flutter a bit before focusing on Miss Parker. A huge smile spreads across his face.  
  
"What a great way to start the day," he whispers. She leans over and gives him a long kiss, conveying just how much she's missed him, leaving him panting and breathless. "And that was even better," he gasps. He finally gets a good look at her and concern instantly covers his face. "Honey, what happened?" He had just noticed that she was in a wheelchair wearing a hospital gown and a hospital ID bracelet.  
  
"I'm fine," she assures him. "We both are." She grabs his hand in her own and places it over the baby "I was there when the building exploded," she says quietly. "And Willie was in there for so long looking for you. When I didn't see either of you come out, I thought it was hopeless. I didn't handle it very well. I kind of shut down for awhile."  
  
"Well obviously Willie got me out because I'm fine," he repeats her earlier assurance. "What about you? Are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"That's what the doctors say."  
  
"What about everyone else?" he's curious.  
  
"I actually don't know," she confesses. Syd is fine. He was just with me. My doctor mentioned Lyle being worried about me, so I assume he's okay too. Tracee's out there with Imani, and . . . "  
  
"Tracee? Where's Miss Dee?" Jarod asks, starting to get suspicious.  
  
"I didn't see her, Jarod. I don't know. I'm sorry I can't answer your questions. But I just don't know anything."  
  
"Something's not right, Tori." A worried look haunts his face and Miss Parker sees that he's starting to get agitated.  
  
"Is everything alright in here?" Miss Parker turns around and sees Sydney standing at the door. "I could hear Jarod from out here. He sounds upset."  
  
"He's worried about everyone else. And I couldn't answer his questions," Miss Parker tells him. She looks sympathetically at Jarod and puts her hand in his for comfort.  
  
"Well, Lyle's been here all night with you, Parker. I came this morning and sent him home for some rest. Broots is home with Debbie. He escaped with only some minor cuts and bruises from the flying debris. Miss Dee and Imani came last night. Miss Dee's older daughter, Tracee I believe is her name, is outside with your daughter."  
  
"And where's Miss Dee, Syd? Why isn't she with Imani? Or with me? Or with Tori? Is it because she had to be with someone else? Why haven't you told me where Willie is?" Jarod's always active mind was starting to figure out what was going on. But he was terrified that Sydney would confirm his fears. "He was hurt, wasn't he?"  
  
"Jarod, Willie's injuries were very extensive," Sydney says softly, almost hoping that Jarod didn't hear him. But he sees Jarod tighten his grip on Miss Parker's hand and knows the young man heard the news loud and clear.  
  
"What happened?" Jarod whispers, turning his head to look out the window. "Tori said he came in looking for me. So how is it that I managed to get out okay, but he   
didn't?"  
  
"We don't know what really happened, Jarod," Sydney admits. "Your gunshot wound was bad. You had lost a lot of blood. Willie went back in for you, but . . . "  
  
"But what, Syd? What happened to Willie?" Jarod is getting impatient with the lack of answers.  
  
"He found you. But it was the firemen who ultimately brought you out." Sydney pauses to take a deep breath before telling him the rest. "Willie had inhaled a lot of smoke. He was unconscious by the time the firemen arrived. And now, he won't wake up."  
  
"Baby, it's not your fault," Miss Parker says, trying to comfort Jarod when she sees him crying.  
  
"He wasn't supposed to come back. He wasn't supposed to be in there," Jarod sobs uncontrollably. "I didn't want it to happen again. Not again."  
  
"Jarod, you can't blame yourself for this," Sydney says calmly.  
"It is my fault. All my fault. All I wanted was to make sure you were safe, Tori. I made him go get you. I knew he wouldn't have had time to carry me and get you to safety. And he wasn't going to leave me in there. So I lied and told him I was going to disarm the bomb. But I knew that bomb was going to blow, no matter what. Raines made sure of that," Jarod explains. "There was no stopping it. I knew that. After Willie left, I used whatever strength I had left to pile the bodies of the Director, Raines, and your father on the bomb, to kind of absorb some of the impact of the explosion. Then I started to make my way out of the building. I managed to drag myself halfway down the stairs before the explosion. Something hit me in the head and that's all I remember."  
  
"Willie found you and tried to pull you to safety, but was overcome by the smoke," Sydney whispers. "But Jarod, this isn't your fault. Willie didn't go back until after the bomb went off. You didn't put him in any danger. You did the best you could trying to get him out of harm's way."  
  
"He shouldn't have been in there," Jarod repeats. "He wasn't supposed to come back." He rolls on his side, turning his back to both Sydney and Miss Parker. He didn't want to talk anymore and they could tell. There wasn't anything they could do for him at the moment. All they could do was give him some time and space to work through his feelings. Miss Parker kisses his hand and gently places it down before Sydney wheels her back to her room.  
  
"He's going to alright, isn't he, Syd?" Miss Parker asks once she's back in her own bed.  
  
"I hope so, Parker," Sydney sighs. "It took him awhile to get over Kyle's death. He blamed himself for it."  
  
"If anything, he should blame me for that," Miss Parker argues. "He was trying to protect me from Lyle when Kyle was shot."  
  
"He would never blame you, Parker. You know that. When things don't go like he expects them to, he feels as if he's at fault. And If Willie dies, then . . . Well, I honestly don't know how he'll handle it." He leans over and kisses her forehead. "Get some rest. The doctor says if all goes well the rest of the day, you can go home tomorrow." He smiles sadly at her before walking out of the door.  
  
  
Chapter 12  
  
"You didn't have to come back. I didn't want you to," Jarod starts. He maneuvers around the room on his crutches until he's at the chair by Willie's bed. It's been a week since he's been in that place. A week and the hole in his leg was healing quite nicely. He just didn't realize he'd be leaving the hospital with a hole in his heart instead.  
  
"I've got to make this fast. Tori's coming to pick me up in a little while. But I just had to come. There are things I have to say to you." He shifts his still sore leg until it's in more of a comfortable position before he begins his speech.  
  
"This shouldn't be so hard. It shouldn't hurt so much. I hated you for so long. You were part of them. The people who stole my everything from me. My identity. My family. My life. You even almost took Tori from me forever. You certainly managed to take Sharisse," he sighs lightly. "But I don't hate you now. I can't.  
  
"I remember the day I first found out about or connection. Not what we just learned, but years ago. When I saw you in those family pictures with Sharisse. I was jealous that you had so much time with her. And I hated that she loved you, even after all you'd done to her. But we were happy. Without you in her life. Without Tori in mine. We made our own family. And even though I hated you, I felt a sort of bond with you because of her. Like we were the only two people in the world to know of the wonderful secret of her love. Thinking back, I realize that she probably only loved me because I reminded her of you. Miss Dee used to say that all the time. How much alike the two of us were."  
  
Jarod pauses for a minute and lets a smile come to his face.  
  
"Now that I know the true reason I felt that bond with you, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like for her to have raised the both of us?" He laughs a little at this thought. "I think we would have driven her crazy."   
  
Jarod pauses again as the implications of his statement seep through his mind. Saddened by what life could have been like if he had been able to live it with his brother.  
  
"Would we have gotten along? Would we have even loved each other? Would it be possible to love each other now? Because the fact is, you're my brother. And that means something to me. It means that I have to look after you, and take care of you and keep you safe. It wasn't supposed to be the other way around. My first official act as your big brother, and I almost get you killed."   
  
A few tears manage to escape the barrier Jarod tried to erect, but he realizes it's useless to try to fight them. He doesn't try to hold them back any longer. He lets them fall, grabbing Willie's hand and burying his face in it. The thought of someone walking in and wondering about the two grown men in an embrace didn't faze him any. He just allowed himself to grieve. For the past years they missed. And for the future years just stolen from them.  
  
"I'm not going to go through this," Jarod swears, wiping away the last of his tears. "I'm not going to lose another brother. Do you hear me, Willie? That's an order. For all the times I haven't been able to boss you around and tell you what to do, I'm making up for it now. You live. It's as simple as that. Live. And give us a chance at a life they tried to take away. Give us a chance to get to know each other. Give us a chance to grow to love each other."  
  
His words hang in the silent heavy air and are soon swallowed up by the steady beep of the machine delivering Willie's life sustaining fluids intravenously. Jarod gives Willie's hand one last squeeze before focusing on the daunting task of making his way to the door. He looks up and sees her standing there, a few tears misting her clear blue eyes.  
  
"Do you think he heard me?" he asks her.  
  
"I have the strangest feeling that he did," Miss Parker tells him, flashing a smile that filled his heart. "And I'm sure he'll listen to you. You can be pretty persuasive, you know." She smiles again at him and pretty soon he can't help but do the same.  
  
"I love you," he whispers to her, gently capturing her lips in a delicate kiss.  
  
"I love you too, Jarod," she whispers back. "Let's get out of here. Let's go home."  
  
She moves to the door and holds it open for him while he hobbles out the room. Taking one last look at the man still lying unconscious in the bed, he smiles somberly.  
  
' . . . don't think that just because you're older you'll be able to boss me around like this . . ., Jarod sadly remembers Willie saying. His last words to him.  
  
"Just wait, little brother. This is only the beginning for us." Jarod lets out one last sigh before turning to walk down the hall, the clicking of the door closing marking the shutting of one book of his life . . . or maybe the opening of another.  
  
  
Epilogue  
  
  
Jarod and Miss Parker's residence  
6 months after the explosion  
  
Miss Parker cringes at the sound of the knocks on the door. Getting around wasn't very easy for her these days. Especially since she looked like what resembled a beached whale. And felt like one too.  
  
"Come in," she yells breathlessly from the sofa, after trying unsuccessfully to get up. She gets downright annoyed when whoever's at the door continues to knock anyway. She tries to get up one last time, but fails, just as the door bursts open.  
  
"Honey, we were out there knocking for like 5 minutes. Our hands were full and we couldn't get in. Why didn't you open the door for us?" Jarod asks innocently. Then he looks at her angry face with a little bit of amusement. When he realizes why she couldn't get the door, he begins to chuckle. "Did you get stuck in the couch again?"  
  
His companions also start to laugh a little at the thought, but quickly stop when she flashes them a glare. They try to make themselves look busy putting down the packages they were carrying.  
  
"Oh, is this funny to you?" she asks, obvious to everyone that she's getting angry. Everyone but Jarod, that is, who continues to enjoy the humor in her little predicament.  
  
"I'm sorry, Tori," he says, trying to wipe the grin off his face. "Let me help you up." He reaches a hand to grab on to her, but she just swats it out of the way.  
  
"Don't touch me," she growls, her eyes narrowing into tiny slits. "That's how I got into this mess anyway. I should never have let you touch me. Lyle, Willie. Could one of you please help me up?" They quickly oblige, not wanting to risk angering the woman any further. She glares at Jarod one more time before waddling as best she could to the bathroom.   
  
"Whoa. Is she always like that?" Lyle wonders, suddenly feeling very sorry for the man married to his sister.  
  
"Not always," Jarod says. "Only when she's awake." He laughs when he sees the horror stricken expression on the men's faces. "Welcome to my world, fellas. Hormones and mood swings."  
  
"Yeah, remind me to make my appointment for that vasectomy I'd been putting off," Willie jokes.  
  
"I'll come with you," Lyle laughs with him.  
  
"Glad to see I'm still amusing you," Miss Parker snaps when she reenters the room.  
  
"I'm sorry, Honey," Jarod says sweetly, trying to sooth her a little. He carefully puts his arm around her shoulder and gives her a gentle kiss. "I love you. Every last inch of your nine month pregnant body." He tries to kiss her again, but she shoves him away.  
  
"Nine AND A HALF months, Jarod," she yells. "I've been pregnant for so long. I swear this child is beginning to think she's an elephant and has a year long gestational period."  
  
"You're a little overdue . . . "  
  
"Two weeks overdue. That's more than a little," she interrupts him. "This little girl is about as stubborn as you are."  
  
"Girl? What makes you think HE's a girl?" Jarod teases. "And if anyone's the stubborn one, it's you."  
  
"Because SHE is a girl," she says positively. "I just know it."  
  
"Well, whoever's in there, it won't be much longer before we meet him - or her. The doctor said she'd induce labor in two days if you hadn't had HIM by then," Jarod reminds her. He attempts to approach her once more, but again gets the cold shoulder.  
  
"It doesn't look like you're quite out of the dog house, Jarod," Willie whispers to him.  
  
"I know. I'd probably be better off if you had just left me in that fire," Jarod smiles.  
  
"Don't say that," Miss Parker gasps, her mood suddenly going from angry to solemn. Her lips begin to tremble and tears start to pour down her face. "I do love you. I just get a little cranky sometimes. I can't believe we almost lost each other back then." She leans into Jarod's arms and sobs quietly into his shoulder.  
  
"We're here. And we're fine, Tori," he reminds her while gently stroking her back. He stares at Lyle and Willie, trying to prompt them to also reassure her.  
  
"Yeah, we're fine," Willie chimes in. "I even had my last appointment with the doctor last week. He said that I was in great health for someone who'd been in a coma for 3 months." He flashes her 'the smile' with about as much skill as Jarod's and she can't help but smile back.  
  
Jarod smiles at his brother standing before him. It truly was a miracle he came out of the coma. The happiness at that thought warms him all over and he can hardly contain himself. He pulls Miss Parker closer to him - as close as he can, anyway, with that stomach in the way - and wraps his arms tightly around her, sharing with her the happiness he's feeling. But when she gives a muffled groan, he quickly drops his arms.  
  
"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" he anxiously questions.  
  
"No, it's not that. It's just my back. It's been killing me all day." She takes a step away from him, gently rubbing the ache as best she could. Her eyes suddenly open in shock when she notices a wet puddle around her feet that wasn't there a second before.  
  
"Um, Sis. I think you sprung a leak," Lyle stutters.  
  
"My water just broke," she says, almost in shock that it happened.  
  
"That means it's time to go have this baby," Jarod tells her excitedly. "Those back aches you've been having all day could have been a sign you were in labor."  
  
"My water just broke," she mumbles again, still in shock.  
  
"Honey, it's time," he smiles.  
  
"No, it can't be. I changed my mind. I'm not ready," she says, sitting down on the couch, refusing to get up. "And I'm not going. This baby's just going to have to wait." She crosses her arms to show her defiance. All that lasts for about 20 seconds, though, until a searing pain shoots through her abdomen. "Ouch," she groans.  
  
"Contraction?" he asks. She can only nod, the sharpness of the pain momentarily taking away her breath. "Okay, I want you to just look at me and focus on your breathing. Just like they taught us in the class." He breathes with her until he sees her face relax. "Now do you believe me? We have to get going."  
  
She just nods again, wiping away a few tears from her eyes. She sits patiently while Jarod, Lyle and Willie rush around the house getting the things she needed. One contraction later, everything that needed to be done was finished and they're finally able to make their way to the hospital.  
  
* * * * * * * * * *  
  
Blue Cove Women's Health Clinic  
4 hours later  
  
"Okay, Victoria. I can see the head," the doctor says enthusiastically. "A couple more pushes and you'll meet your baby."  
  
"That's what you said . . . ahhhh . . . a couple of pushes ago," she screams. "Jarod, just shoot me. Go get my gun and shoot me now. Make this pain go away."  
  
"Come on, Honey. We're almost there. Just breath," he coaches her, having to duck when her fist flies towards his head.  
  
"What do you mean we? AHHHH! I'm the one doing all the work." She closes her eyes in agony and leans her head back against Jarod's chest. She allows herself to be comforted by the gentleness of his hand stroking her hair. However, the reprieve only lasts a minute as another pain rips through her.  
  
"Victoria," the doctor calls her. "I want you to bear down as hard and as long as you can with this contraction. Keep pushing until I tell you to stop."  
  
Miss Parker nods her head, and begins pushing with all her might. I can do this. I can do this, she chants to herself, all the while pushing. She pushes back for all the times in the past she's been pushed down. She pushes back for all the things in her life that almost took her completely out of the game. She pushes for her mother. She pushes for Tommy. And she pushes for her new family. How they almost took them away, too. But they prevailed. She keeps pushing and pushing until soon, her own cries are covered by louder, shriller ones.   
  
"Congratulations. It's a girl," the doctor says. After quickly wiping her down and wrapping her up, the doctor hands her over to her mother's anxiously awaiting arms.  
  
"She's beautiful," Jarod whispers, unable to hold back his own tears. "Just like you."  
  
"She's so perfect," Miss Parker cries, taking a moment to count her fingers. Jarod lifts a foot and counts the toes. Together they sit with their tears and enjoy the first moments of their daughter's life.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Jarod and Miss Parker's residence  
2 days later  
  
"Are they here yet?" Imani asks her grandmother for what must be the twelfth time. Luckily for them, this would be the last time. A car pulls up seconds later with the long overdue visitors.  
  
"They're here!" she screams, throwing the door wide open for Jarod, Miss Parker, and Lyle. Miss Parker enters first, walking gingerly with some help from Lyle. Jarod follows them, carrying little pink bundle.  
  
"Congratulations, you guys," comes from several of the guests in the house.  
  
"Are you sure you're up for this?" Tracee asks Miss Parker quietly. "You just had her a couple of days ago."  
  
"Positive," Miss Parker smiles. "I think it's fitting for you all to be here to welcome her home." She hugs Tracee warmly before taking a seat on the couch. Jarod sets the baby in her arms and looks around at all the guests.  
  
"I want to thank you all for being here," he starts, deciding to make an impromptu speech. "But I know you all didn't come to see me. Two days ago, a new member to this family was born. A family that spans generations, backgrounds, and color lines. A family that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.  
  
"I've spent the better part of my life searching for a family that I may never find. Not realizing that I had family here in front of me the whole time. And I know and trust that you'll not only be there for Tori and I, but also for our daughters. Imani, you all know. But now it's time to introduce you to our newest addition." He smiles and looks down at Miss Parker. She unwraps the baby and holds her up for them all to see.  
  
"Weighing in at a whopping 8 pounds 11 ounces and 22 inches long. May I present Miss Halle Jordyn Parker." Jarod finishes his introduction with a big smile on a proud father's face. He steps back and lets his new baby girl take Centre stage. She's passed from person to person and handles the attention like a professional until her hunger gets the better of her. A shrill wail escapes the baby's lips.  
  
"She's hungry," Miss Parker announces.  
  
All the visitors smile and realize it's time to go. But not before one last congratulations to the family. Five minutes later, the house is empty and Miss Parker settles down to begin nursing Halle. Jarod sits next to her with Imani on his lap and just stares at them all.  
  
"You're amazing, you know that?" he whispers after a long silence, trying not to wake up both the girls who have managed to fall asleep.  
  
"Thanks," she smiles. "You're not so bad yourself. Look at her," she says, motioning to the sleeping baby. "We did good, didn't we?"  
  
"No. You did good." He looks at her again and can't manage to hold in his emotions any longer. Tears of happiness spill down his face. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too." She smiles at him and wipes away the tears. "No more tears. Not ever again. From now on, it's only going to be joy."  
  
She holds the baby close to her chest and snuggles deeper into Jarod's arms. The place where she's always where found safety, strength, and love. The place she knows will always be her joy - no matter what is thrown their way.  
  
The End. 


End file.
